The Millennial Kingdom
Eric
Summers
If you have read many of the prophecy articles on this website you will know that the end-times events of the book of Revelation predict much rebellion, wars, suffering and destruction. However, let's look to the day of rest, the thousand year Millennial Kingdom and attempt to understand the events that will take place in a world ruled by Jesus Christ.
In addition to New Testament verses there are verses in the Old Testament that also predict the events of the Millennial Kingdom; both describe what will happen to the earth, the Christians, the twelve tribes of Israel and the Gentiles saved during the Tribulation.
I will chronologically describe the events that will take place on the world from the time Jesus Christ conquers Antichrist and the armies of the world at the very end of the Tribulation and sets up His kingdom on the earth and rules over it for 1,000 years. You can read a description of the judgments by God upon the earth during the seven year Tribulation starting with Revelation Chapter 1: What you have seen.
The State of the World at the end of the Tribulation
By the end of the seven year Tribulation, the world will be in shambles. After God sends His last plague upon the earth, Jesus will return as victor over Antichrist and the armies of the world. The world will not be lush and green with beautiful blue waters. The air will be polluted, the oceans turned to blood, the fresh water deadly to drink, radioactivity will be present in many places – a land made unlivable because of man’s sin.
When viewed from space planet Earth will have been changed from the blue planet to the red planet; perhaps it could be called the Second Mars. Remember that the seas were turned to blood by the Second Bowl of God's wrath (Revelation 16:3) and all the green grass was burned up by Trumpet One (Revelation 8:7), so the land will be various shades of gray.
Satan is sent to the Bottomless Pit
Before the worldwide cleanup takes place, Satan and his unholy angels will be arrested and incarcerated in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years and will not be able to influence mankind. The Gentiles that God saves during the Tribulation will be living on the earth and the only sinful thing that they will have to overcome with God's help is their fallen flesh nature. Satan will be bound with a great chain and be unable to escape from the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3). This is a figurative chain, because Jesus will simply say to him "Go to and stay in the bottomless pit". Satan will immediately go there and will not attempt to escape.
The Antichrist and the False Prophet are Judged
The first unsaved human's judgment begins with the Antichrist and the False Prophet. Jesus sends His holy angels to capture and bring them to where He will judge them at Jerusalem. They will receive the most severe judgment possible because they have been the most sinful human beings that have ever walked on the earth. Each of their sins will be brought up and then they will get their reward: they be cast alive into the Lake of Fire that contains fire and brimstone. This will be a most painful experience for them both physically and mentally. This fire will destroy their human bodies and the other pain they will experience is that their evil works they committed while on the earth will be remembered, because the word of God will last forever. They are not famous, they are infamous and will be detested by those humans that followed them during the Tribulation.
The New Heaven and the New Earth
This destruction of the earth that occurred during the Tribulation will be removed by Jesus; He will make the world as good as new:
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.
He will send a legion of holy angels to clean up the world, the air, the oceans, lakes, rivers and fresh water sources and it won't take long. He will somehow remove all the weeds and thorns and thistles from the earth and keep them from effecting mankind that will inhabit the earth and all bad bacteria and viruses will also be destroyed. He will have the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem and from there He will rule the world in truth and righteousness. He will make sure that the atmosphere will be perfectly free of any kind of pollution. There will be a topsoil on the earth and He will have His angels plant flowers, bushes, fruit trees, grain, grass and other nourishment for both mankind and the animals of the land, sea and air; the deserts will bloom with grass, flowers and other vegetation including trees. He will change the carnivorous animals into plant eaters and hence they will not need to kill other animals to survive. The mosquitoes, ticks, ants and other insects will not affect mankind or the animals any more. The earth will be much like it was before the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Those humans that are still alive at the end of the Tribulation will be gentiles that Jesus saves at sometime during the seven years and all descendants of Jacob including the Jews and the ten lost tribes of Israel. Both these groups of people will inhabit the earth during the Millennial Kingdom. They will still have their sinful nature, but they will still be saved. These people will be able to marry and have children during the Millennial Kingdom.
Remember what God said to Abraham in Genesis?
Genesis 13:14-17 And Jehovah said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: So that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.
The land of Israel has been given as a gift to Abraham and his descendants forever. So, God will not create a literal new earth, but restore it as in the creation, before the fall. When the holy angels are through with their cleanup, the world will be as good as new.
The First Resurrection
(Rev 20:4-5 KJV) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand year. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
The second death is explained:
Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, [even] the lake of fire.
So every person that is a part of the first resurrection will be saved. Not one of these will be cast into the Lake of Fire to be destroyed. Their calling during the Millennial Kingdom will be to deliver the gospel message to those Gentiles that Jesus saves during this thousand years of His rule. They will also be given authority over some of the cities of the world to judge the Gentiles that are born during the Millennial Kingdom.
More on the Redemption of Israel
Isaiah 1:24-27 Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin; and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
When the Millennial Kingdom begins, God will restore all descendants of Jacob to fellowship with Him and completely redeem them. Their rebellious sinful nature will be removed and they will absolutely obey Him. They will be sinless and live their lives forever on the earth in holiness and righteousness. As mentioned earlier in this article, their judges will be the twelve apostles of Jesus. After this judgment, all descendants of Jacob will be free of sin and faithfully obey everything Jesus commands them to accomplish.
The Wedding Festivities
After the earth has been cleaned up, early in the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will have His holy angels setup many tables and chairs for the wedding feast celebrating the wedding of Jesus Christ and His most faithful saints: The Bride of Christ--the wedding ceremony will have already taken place in Heaven immediately after the First Fruits Rapture. The furniture will be made of the most beautiful woods and the whole area around the feast area will be decorated with flowers and bushes and trees. In the middle of the feast area will be the table where Jesus will be seated. Seated to His right and left will be the most faithful of Christians that He has saved during the 2,000 year church age. Who might these two people be? We don't know at this time, but God the Father will select these two (Matthew 20:20-23). This is speculation, but if I had to make a guess, I believe that the Apostle Paul would be sitting to Jesus' right hand and the Apostle John to His left. The other apostles will be sitting very close to Jesus. Thus, those believers that are the most faithful will be sitting very close to Jesus and the less faithful will be further away. Anyone that is invited to the wedding supper will be counted as faithful by Jesus; they will be wearing the Crown of Life: their names have not been blotted out of the Book of Life:
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Those invited will be the faithful saints of the Old Testament era, faithful Christians of the 2,000 year church age, faithful gentiles that Jesus saves during the Tribulation and of course, the 144,000 that He calls at mid-Tribulation to be His evangelists to the world. Many Jews of all ages will also be seated at this great feast. I am not sure that all of the Jews that were still alive at the end of the Tribulation will be invited, but many will probably be invited. In particular, the most faithful of the Old Testament era will include Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Job, Ruth, Esther, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and those faithful kings, priests, prophets and shepherds mentioned in the Old Testament.
Seating arrangements during the great feast
Luke 14:7-11 And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, and he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
This verse is a good one for Christians to remember, because it has great implications for those that sit themselves down in the more important seats around the marriage feast tables without first knowing where they should sit. After everyone sits down, Jesus will send His holy angels to insure that each believer is seated where they should sit. Their seating position has already been determined by their faith in Jesus Christ during their time on the earth. The seats close to Jesus are the "chief" seats around the table. If a believer sits down in a seat that is reserved for a more faithful believer, then he will be asked to move to a lower place, one further from Jesus. If a believer is a humble believer, he will sit himself down in a seat that might be further away from Jesus than the close seats. The humble believer will then be escorted by a holy angel to a seat closer to Jesus. Thus, some will be embarrassed and some praised.
In my own mind here is how I picture this great feast. After all believers are properly seated, Jesus will ask a blessing over the meal from God the Father and then the holy angels will then serve the wonderful drinks, salads, breads, meats, vegetables, drinks and then coffee, tea and dessert. During the meal, songs of praise of God will be sung and musical groups will play their instruments. Perhaps various people will be invited by Jesus to read from the Holy Bible and others will give their testimonies of their walk with God and how He helped them overcome their spiritual weaknesses.
Jesus will serve His faithful Saints
The following is an amazing verse: that Jesus Christ Himself would serve a special group of those that He has invited to the wedding feast. He will actually place an apron around Himself and take up trays of food and drink and serve His most faithful saints. Isn't this amazing: the humility of Jesus Christ? He will wear many crowns and have a golden girdle around Himself and have on a brilliant white robe. This is His robe of righteousness and He will serve His Philadelphia saints:
Luke 12:35-37 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them.
Note that to be served by Jesus, you will need to be watching for His return. The most faithful saints that will be watching for his return are the members of the Church of Philadelphia (Revelation chapter 3). They are now faithfully following Jesus and watching for His return, obeying His commands and being His disciples. Those Christians that are left behind to be tested the first half of the Tribulation will also need to be watching for His return at mid-Tribulation. Those gentiles that Jesus saves during the Tribulation should be watching for His return at the end of the Tribulation and many Jews from the Tribulation will also be watching for His return. Jesus will serve all of these that are watching for His return at the great wedding feast. Perhaps those believers that have not watched for His return will be served by the holy angels.
What will people eat during the Millennial Kingdom?
I believe that the main foods for humankind will be the same as Adam and Eve had in the garden of Eden before their fall. They were in perfect health and the fruit they ate was delicious and very nutritious. There may be other foods that Jesus will allow mankind to eat such as bread and possibly fish. Milk, cheese and honey will also be nourishment for mankind. I don't know if Jesus will allow animals such as cattle to be killed so their flesh could be used for nourishment or not. Whatever mankind is allowed to eat during the Millennial Kingdom will also be available to be eaten by those that inhabit the earth after the Millennial Kingdom is finished and into Eternity.
As a note, all descendants of Jacob and Gentiles saved during the Tribulation will inhabit the earth during Eternity. They will have access to the fruits of the Tree of Life (now currently in Heaven) and will enjoy living forever by periodically eating this fruit. The fruit from this tree will be brought to mankind from Heaven by the holy angels (Revelation 22:2).
Judgment of Sin and Legal cases during the Millennial Kingdom
The judgment by Jesus and His saints will be a righteous judgment. He will know all of the attributes of one case of a human against another as well as any sin that a human might commit during the Millennial Kingdom. Each person judged of sin will have a perfect judgment and punishment will be meted out by Jesus and by those believers that Jesus ordains as judges. There will be no bribes given or taken at court appearances. Believers will not get unfair judgments and leniency will not be handed out to those that break the law. A murderer will not get released after only a few years of incarceration or sexual offenders and child molesters released before their sentence has been served. I suspect that the crime rate during the Millennial Kingdom will be extremely low because crime and sin will not be tolerated by Jesus. You will be able to walk down the streets of the world at that time and not worry about being robbed or assaulted.
The Wolf and Lion will lie down with the Lamb and the Ox
The lion will still be magnificent with his great coat and his powerful presence. However, he will not need to kill anything to get his sustenance. He will eat grass, just like the lamb does. Perhaps the grass that will grow will be high in protein, so the lion will not need to have a large stomach such as plant eaters need. When Adam and Eve fell, the animals also fell and death has been a part of their existence since the fall of man. This need to be aggressive will be removed from both the plant eaters as well as the carnivores.
Isaiah 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.
The descendants of Jacob have certainly gone through rough times during their lifetime on the earth. They have been conquered by Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. They had little freedom and much pain inflicted upon them in Old Testament times. After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, most were dispersed throughout the nations and while there were greatly persecuted. There has been much weeping and sorrow by the descendants of Jacob over the centuries. God has allowed them to be severely persecuted because most have been unfaithful to God. Just read the books of the Old Testament; few were faithful to God.
This weeping and pain will completely cease and the descendants of Jacob will be honored by all of the gentile nations of the world; all those that Jesus has saved. Instead of crying, there will be laughter and joy because they will be protected by Jesus. They will be leaders upon the earth during the Millennial Kingdom and in Eternity and they will be loved and respected by the gentiles that Jesus saves.
Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.
The Gentiles that did not take the mark of the beast (666) at mid-Tribulation will be allowed to enter the Millennial Kingdom and dwell there under the watchful eye of Jesus Christ. All will be saved that begin the 1,000 kingdom, but they will still have their sinful nature. Jesus will make sure that the holy scripture is understood by all including the need to refrain from sin and the need to live holy lives that glorify God. Most will live this life in obedience to Jesus. If they do, they will live long and fruitful lives. Some may even live the whole 1,000 years in obedience to God, even though they still have their propensity to sin. There will be some that will rebel and Jesus will then just have their lives taken by His holy angels. Even these will live to be 100 years old or so. Even the children that now die at childbirth or only live a few years: this will not happen in the Millennial Kingdom. The earliest a person will die will be at 100.
Isaiah 65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Gentiles will build houses and they will be very comfortable. They will be allowed musical instruments and art and craft supplies and be able to be very creative. They will also be able to plant their own fruit trees, grape vines, strawberries and other fruit. They will also be able to have pets and perhaps milk cows and goats for cheese, milk and ice cream. This will be a very satisfying life and they will enjoy nature without the toil that we now have farming and raising animals. It will be work, but very satisfying work.
Isaiah 65:22-23 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.
Throughout the centuries that man has lived on the earth a person and his family could build a house, plant a field, raise sheep and cattle, weave their clothing, and make money by selling their produce. However, they might not be able to enjoy the fruit of their labors because another man might come along and steal it from them. How awful--you work hard for something and a thief just steals it from them. You build a house and an evil judge or ruler simply takes it from you. This thievery will not happen in the Millennium Kingdom.
Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Of course Jesus knows our thoughts and during the Millennial Kingdom He will be in close fellowship with all. He will know what they will be saying to Him and will give the perfect answer to them. If their request is in line with His will, He will say yes and give to them what they want. I suspect that because they have a close walk with Jesus, their request will be for Him to give them wisdom in living and especially for understanding the Holy Scripture.
Isaiah 11:6-8 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
The dangerous animals that now cause grief and sometimes death upon humans will have their destructive nature removed and will not harm either other animals or humans. When the Millennial Kingdom begins, all animals will be vegetarians; including those animals that live on the earth, fly in the skies or live in the oceans, rivers or lakes. Insects are not mentioned here, but I believe that humans will not be bitten by mosquitoes or ticks and gnats will not fly into our eyes or ears when we are walking outside. Snakes or scorpions or spiders will not attempt to bite us when we are outside.
During the Millennial Kingdom there will be no carnivorous animals on the earth. The children will make friends with the gentle animals such as lambs and calves as well as the lions, bears, rhinos and other animals that are now dangerous. In the midst of these animals children will play with them and all will be the best of friends. The lions, tigers and bears will be friendly like our pet dogs.
Isaiah 11:7-8 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
This poisonous asp or adder snakes will not have or need any poison glands and will not need to bite anyone, especially a child that might be playing nearby.
Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
Those animals mentioned above will have their aggressive nature removed and will be like they were before the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. What a wonderful world that will be without the dangers that are now in nature. The animals will have some kind of knowledge of God and perhaps they will be allowed to live forever on the earth.
The Millennial Temple
Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
The Millennial Kingdom temple will be rebuilt and will sit on the highest mountain in Israel. This temple will be in the same place that Solomon's Temple stood. There Jesus will receive people from all nations around the world. They will come and worship Him there and He will impart Biblical wisdom to them.
Isaiah 2:3 And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.
People of the various nations will come to hear the wisdom from Jesus. The people will not only hear the words of Jesus, but also be very willing to obey whatever He tells them. He will explain the various verses in the Old and New Testaments and all will understand. The law He will teach will be the Ten Commandments and the two Love Commands:
You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. (See the Book of Deuteronomy)
Isaiah 2:4 And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Jesus will know the hearts and minds of people of the various nations. He will peer deep into their hearts and know their flaws and strengths. From this knowledge He will make righteous decisions concerning any individual or national conflicts. They will listen to Him and destroy all their weapons of war and conflict and there no longer be any wars across the earth.. They will focus on simple yet satisfying efforts such as family farming. They will have the most beautiful fruit trees and grape vines and produce delicious apples, peaches, pears, cherries and other fruit and the most wonderful wine from their grape vines.
Service for the unfaithful?
What will the unfaithful Christians do during the Millennial Kingdom? We know that they will have no cities to rule over and will not be leaders in any cities of the world. We know that they will not attend the Marriage Festivities at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. Any ceremonies that Jesus gives to praise His faithful saints the unfaithful will only be able to watch, but not to receive any recognition or awards.
I cannot find any verses that describe what they will be doing. Because they have been reprimanded for their unfaithfulness at their judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ, they will cry then and they will most likely be crying during the Millennial Kingdom. This is so sad; however they chose to be unfaithful to Jesus. They did not study their Bibles, they did not pray, they did not watch for Christ's return, they committed various sins and did not confess them to God (I John 1:9), they did not bring up their families in the way of The Lord; they were spiritual failures. At their judgment time their works were wood, hay and stubble and these were burnt up at that time (Judgment Seat of Christ).
We know that after the Millennial Kingdom comes to an end, the unfaithful will not cry any more because Jesus will then allow them to have fellowship with Himself and other faithful believers:
Revelation 21:4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away.
Fellowship for the faithful
Here are a few thoughts about the fellowship that Jesus Christ will have with His faithful saints of the Old Testament, the 2000 year Church Age, gentiles saved during the Tribulation and the descendants of Israel through all ages. We do know that there will be a walk with Jesus and conversation. I believe that His faithful will be able to pray to Him continually and that He will respond back to them. Even after the Marriage festivities, Jesus may invite His faithful across the world to come to dinner and fellowship with Him at various times during the year; most probably at the time of The Seven Feasts. Perhaps this fellowship will be so wonderful, that we might not understand it very well now because we are so much less spiritual than we will be when we receive our holy resurrection bodies and have our sinful nature removed. Perhaps when we pray to God the Father He will respond back to us and we will hear Him speaking to us. Both God the Father and Jesus will tell us often how much they love us and we will respond back with our thanksgiving, praise and our love.
The Final Battle
By the end of the Millennial Kingdom, many gentiles will be born and some of these will be unsaved. There is rebellion in their hearts but because Jesus is King over the earth, this rebellion will be held in check until the completion of the thousand year kingdom. Jesus will then allow Satan and his fallen angels to come out of the bottomless pit and they will be allowed to deceive the fallen people of the world. Satan will thus reveal the sin and rebellion in their hearts; he will deceive the unsaved nations of the world and make them believe that they can conquer Jesus and thus take over and rule the world. They will then get together a great army and attempt to surround and conquer Jesus at His city of Jerusalem. This is folly, because all He does is speak the word and a great fire from Heaven comes down and completely destroys all these people; this final battle between good and evil takes all of one hour to complete:
Revelation 20:7-9 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.
Satan and his fallen angels are judged
After Satan deceives the Gentiles at the end of the Millennial Kingdom he is captured and taken before Jesus and his many evil deeds are then judged by Jesus Christ:
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
I believe this judgment also includes the judgment of all of the fallen angels as well. This lake has both fire and brimstone in it, so this has to be the most severe punishment that is is possible to be given. The evil three mentioned in this verse as well as all of the fallen angels will remain forever in this most terrible place to be: the Lake of Fire. This punishment for Antichrist, the False Prophet and Satan and his angels will not only be physically painful, but also shame will be heaped on them because they committed the worst sin of all: forcing the false worship of Antichrist and Satan upon the unsaved people of the world instead of worship of the one true and living God: Yahweh--God the Father, Jesus Christ--God the Son and the Holy Spirit of God. Instead of worship, fame and fortune, Satan will be the most dishonored being in the Universe and Antichrist and the False Prophet will be the most dishonored humans in the Universe.
The Great White Throne Judgment
After the judgment mentioned above, every unsaved human that has ever lived will then be resurrected and they will stand before Jesus for their judgment in front of the Great White Throne Judgment Seat of Christ. Each of their evil deeds will be remembered and announced by Jesus for all of the unsaved to hear. All of the saved will not receive the same punishment for their unholy deeds. Some will receive a very adverse judgment and others a less adverse judgment because some will have committed more evil than others. All of the unsaved will then be cast into the Lake of Fire; this fire will consume their bodies and it will be very painful. After that, all of the unsaved will then be cast into the Place of Torments (Sheol) in the earth somewhere:
Psalm 9:17 The wicked will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God.
Satan and his angels will also be sent to Hell and punished forever there and they will be engulfed in the eternal punishment of the Lake of Fire:
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.
What about sin?
God hates sin. I believe that the unsaved that are returned to Sheol will not have the opportunity to sin because they will be in torment of some kind; so much that they will not be able to sin. I also believe that Satan and the fallen angels will also not be allowed to sin. For more on this torment read: Hell.
Eternity
After the final judgment, Eternity will begin. The faithful saints of the Old Testament will reside in Heaven in close proximity to Jesus Christ and God the Father. All Christians will also reside in Heaven and the most faithful will share the throne of Jesus: members of the Bride of Christ. Less faithful Christians will be further away from Christ's throne. The unfaithful will live in Heaven but will reside even further from His throne. All will have great fellowship with and forever love and serve Jesus Christ and Yahweh, God the Father. For details read Revelation chapter 21 and 22: the New Heaven and the New Earth.
If you have read many of the prophecy articles on this website you will know that the end-times events of the book of Revelation predict much rebellion, wars, suffering and destruction. However, let's look to the day of rest, the thousand year Millennial Kingdom and attempt to understand the events that will take place in a world ruled by Jesus Christ.
In addition to New Testament verses there are verses in the Old Testament that also predict the events of the Millennial Kingdom; both describe what will happen to the earth, the Christians, the twelve tribes of Israel and the Gentiles saved during the Tribulation.
I will chronologically describe the events that will take place on the world from the time Jesus Christ conquers Antichrist and the armies of the world at the very end of the Tribulation and sets up His kingdom on the earth and rules over it for 1,000 years. You can read a description of the judgments by God upon the earth during the seven year Tribulation starting with Revelation Chapter 1: What you have seen.
The State of the World at the end of the Tribulation
By the end of the seven year Tribulation, the world will be in shambles. After God sends His last plague upon the earth, Jesus will return as victor over Antichrist and the armies of the world. The world will not be lush and green with beautiful blue waters. The air will be polluted, the oceans turned to blood, the fresh water deadly to drink, radioactivity will be present in many places – a land made unlivable because of man’s sin.
When viewed from space planet Earth will have been changed from the blue planet to the red planet; perhaps it could be called the Second Mars. Remember that the seas were turned to blood by the Second Bowl of God's wrath (Revelation 16:3) and all the green grass was burned up by Trumpet One (Revelation 8:7), so the land will be various shades of gray.
Satan is sent to the Bottomless Pit
Before the worldwide cleanup takes place, Satan and his unholy angels will be arrested and incarcerated in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years and will not be able to influence mankind. The Gentiles that God saves during the Tribulation will be living on the earth and the only sinful thing that they will have to overcome with God's help is their fallen flesh nature. Satan will be bound with a great chain and be unable to escape from the bottomless pit (Revelation 20:1-3). This is a figurative chain, because Jesus will simply say to him "Go to and stay in the bottomless pit". Satan will immediately go there and will not attempt to escape.
The Antichrist and the False Prophet are Judged
The first unsaved human's judgment begins with the Antichrist and the False Prophet. Jesus sends His holy angels to capture and bring them to where He will judge them at Jerusalem. They will receive the most severe judgment possible because they have been the most sinful human beings that have ever walked on the earth. Each of their sins will be brought up and then they will get their reward: they be cast alive into the Lake of Fire that contains fire and brimstone. This will be a most painful experience for them both physically and mentally. This fire will destroy their human bodies and the other pain they will experience is that their evil works they committed while on the earth will be remembered, because the word of God will last forever. They are not famous, they are infamous and will be detested by those humans that followed them during the Tribulation.
The New Heaven and the New Earth
This destruction of the earth that occurred during the Tribulation will be removed by Jesus; He will make the world as good as new:
Revelation 21:1 And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth are passed away; and the sea is no more.
He will send a legion of holy angels to clean up the world, the air, the oceans, lakes, rivers and fresh water sources and it won't take long. He will somehow remove all the weeds and thorns and thistles from the earth and keep them from effecting mankind that will inhabit the earth and all bad bacteria and viruses will also be destroyed. He will have the temple rebuilt in Jerusalem and from there He will rule the world in truth and righteousness. He will make sure that the atmosphere will be perfectly free of any kind of pollution. There will be a topsoil on the earth and He will have His angels plant flowers, bushes, fruit trees, grain, grass and other nourishment for both mankind and the animals of the land, sea and air; the deserts will bloom with grass, flowers and other vegetation including trees. He will change the carnivorous animals into plant eaters and hence they will not need to kill other animals to survive. The mosquitoes, ticks, ants and other insects will not affect mankind or the animals any more. The earth will be much like it was before the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.
Those humans that are still alive at the end of the Tribulation will be gentiles that Jesus saves at sometime during the seven years and all descendants of Jacob including the Jews and the ten lost tribes of Israel. Both these groups of people will inhabit the earth during the Millennial Kingdom. They will still have their sinful nature, but they will still be saved. These people will be able to marry and have children during the Millennial Kingdom.
Remember what God said to Abraham in Genesis?
Genesis 13:14-17 And Jehovah said unto Abram, after that Lot was separated from him, Lift up now thine eyes, and look from the place where thou art, northward and southward and eastward and westward: for all the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed forever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth: So that if a man can number the dust of the earth, then may thy seed also be numbered. Arise, walk through the land in the length of it and in the breadth of it; for unto thee will I give it.
The land of Israel has been given as a gift to Abraham and his descendants forever. So, God will not create a literal new earth, but restore it as in the creation, before the fall. When the holy angels are through with their cleanup, the world will be as good as new.
The First Resurrection
(Rev 20:4-5 KJV) And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand year. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
This
is the general resurrection that the Old
Testament people expected at the end of the
age. Those resurrected will be given sinless
bodies like Adam and Eve had before the
fall. They will never get sick or commit a
sin. They will be perfect and will inhabit
the world during the Millennial Kingdom and live
forever. Those that did not take the mark of
the beast (666) and were executed because of their
faith in Jesus will also be resurrected, some of
which were beheaded by Antichrist. These
will also be allowed to live forever on the
earth.
This
resurrection is called first because
it was the only resurrection that the Jewish
people of the Old Testament era
expected. The first century resurrection
of Jesus and the faithful Old Testament saints
described in the Gospels was a special
resurrection and had not been identified
anywhere in the Old Testament. The First
Fruits Rapture just before the Tribulation and
the Main Harvest Rapture at mid-Tribulation
also include special resurrections. In
both of these raptures, those Christians that
died during the 2,000 year church age and
those Christians that died during the first
half of the Tribulation will be
resurrected. Those Christians that are
alive at the time of these raptures will
receive their resurrection bodies and then be
taken to Heaven for their judgment.
All
descendants of Jacob, the twelve tribes of
Israel, will have their works judged at this
last resurrection. The
judge will not be Jesus, but will be the twelves
apostles of Jesus:
Matthew 19:28 And Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto you, that ye who have followed me, in the regeneration when the Son of man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.
I don't know if their judgment will be more severe than Jesus' would if He were judging them but they will know how terrible that the scribes, pharisees and high priest and many of Jesus' countrymen treated Him and especially of their unbelief in Him as Messiah. None of Jacob's descendant will be sent to hell however; here is the verse:
Romans 11:25-27 For I
would not, brethren, have you ignorant of
this mystery, lest ye be wise in your own
conceits, that a hardening in part hath
befallen Israel, until the fulness of the
Gentiles be come in; and so All Israel shall
be saved: even as it is written,
There shall come out of Zion the
Deliverer; He shall turn away ungodliness
from Jacob: And this is my covenant unto
them, When I shall take away their sins.
Now whether the Judas that betrayed Jesus will
be saved or if the scribes, pharisees and high
priest that condemned Jesus to death on the
cross will be saved, I am not sure.
However, I know that Jesus saved me by grace
so if this is so, then He can save anyone He
decides to save, possibly even those that
betrayed and condemned Him. He might
also possibly even save those Jews of the Old
Testament era that were unfaithful. When
the Millennium Kingdom begins we will know how
the Romans verse is fulfilled.
The second death is explained:
Revelation 20:14 And death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death, [even] the lake of fire.
So every person that is a part of the first resurrection will be saved. Not one of these will be cast into the Lake of Fire to be destroyed. Their calling during the Millennial Kingdom will be to deliver the gospel message to those Gentiles that Jesus saves during this thousand years of His rule. They will also be given authority over some of the cities of the world to judge the Gentiles that are born during the Millennial Kingdom.
More on the Redemption of Israel
Isaiah 1:24-27 Therefore saith the Lord, Jehovah of hosts, the Mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies; and I will turn my hand upon thee, and thoroughly purge away thy dross, and will take away all thy tin; and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called The city of righteousness, a faithful town. Zion shall be redeemed with justice, and her converts with righteousness.
When the Millennial Kingdom begins, God will restore all descendants of Jacob to fellowship with Him and completely redeem them. Their rebellious sinful nature will be removed and they will absolutely obey Him. They will be sinless and live their lives forever on the earth in holiness and righteousness. As mentioned earlier in this article, their judges will be the twelve apostles of Jesus. After this judgment, all descendants of Jacob will be free of sin and faithfully obey everything Jesus commands them to accomplish.
The Wedding Festivities
After the earth has been cleaned up, early in the Millennial Kingdom, Jesus will have His holy angels setup many tables and chairs for the wedding feast celebrating the wedding of Jesus Christ and His most faithful saints: The Bride of Christ--the wedding ceremony will have already taken place in Heaven immediately after the First Fruits Rapture. The furniture will be made of the most beautiful woods and the whole area around the feast area will be decorated with flowers and bushes and trees. In the middle of the feast area will be the table where Jesus will be seated. Seated to His right and left will be the most faithful of Christians that He has saved during the 2,000 year church age. Who might these two people be? We don't know at this time, but God the Father will select these two (Matthew 20:20-23). This is speculation, but if I had to make a guess, I believe that the Apostle Paul would be sitting to Jesus' right hand and the Apostle John to His left. The other apostles will be sitting very close to Jesus. Thus, those believers that are the most faithful will be sitting very close to Jesus and the less faithful will be further away. Anyone that is invited to the wedding supper will be counted as faithful by Jesus; they will be wearing the Crown of Life: their names have not been blotted out of the Book of Life:
Revelation 3:5 He that overcometh shall thus be arrayed in white garments; and I will in no wise blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.
Those invited will be the faithful saints of the Old Testament era, faithful Christians of the 2,000 year church age, faithful gentiles that Jesus saves during the Tribulation and of course, the 144,000 that He calls at mid-Tribulation to be His evangelists to the world. Many Jews of all ages will also be seated at this great feast. I am not sure that all of the Jews that were still alive at the end of the Tribulation will be invited, but many will probably be invited. In particular, the most faithful of the Old Testament era will include Enoch, Noah, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Job, Ruth, Esther, David, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Ezekiel and those faithful kings, priests, prophets and shepherds mentioned in the Old Testament.
Seating arrangements during the great feast
Luke 14:7-11 And he spake a parable unto those that were bidden, when he marked how they chose out the chief seats; saying unto them, When thou art bidden of any man to a marriage feast, sit not down in the chief seat; lest haply a more honorable man than thou be bidden of him, and he that bade thee and him shall come and say to thee, Give this man place; and then thou shalt begin with shame to take the lowest place. But when thou art bidden, go and sit down in the lowest place; that when he that hath bidden thee cometh, he may say to thee, Friend, go up higher: then shalt thou have glory in the presence of all that sit at meat with thee. For everyone that exalteth himself shall be humbled; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
This verse is a good one for Christians to remember, because it has great implications for those that sit themselves down in the more important seats around the marriage feast tables without first knowing where they should sit. After everyone sits down, Jesus will send His holy angels to insure that each believer is seated where they should sit. Their seating position has already been determined by their faith in Jesus Christ during their time on the earth. The seats close to Jesus are the "chief" seats around the table. If a believer sits down in a seat that is reserved for a more faithful believer, then he will be asked to move to a lower place, one further from Jesus. If a believer is a humble believer, he will sit himself down in a seat that might be further away from Jesus than the close seats. The humble believer will then be escorted by a holy angel to a seat closer to Jesus. Thus, some will be embarrassed and some praised.
In my own mind here is how I picture this great feast. After all believers are properly seated, Jesus will ask a blessing over the meal from God the Father and then the holy angels will then serve the wonderful drinks, salads, breads, meats, vegetables, drinks and then coffee, tea and dessert. During the meal, songs of praise of God will be sung and musical groups will play their instruments. Perhaps various people will be invited by Jesus to read from the Holy Bible and others will give their testimonies of their walk with God and how He helped them overcome their spiritual weaknesses.
Jesus will serve His faithful Saints
The following is an amazing verse: that Jesus Christ Himself would serve a special group of those that He has invited to the wedding feast. He will actually place an apron around Himself and take up trays of food and drink and serve His most faithful saints. Isn't this amazing: the humility of Jesus Christ? He will wear many crowns and have a golden girdle around Himself and have on a brilliant white robe. This is His robe of righteousness and He will serve His Philadelphia saints:
Luke 12:35-37 Let your loins be girded about, and your lamps burning; and be ye yourselves like unto men looking for their lord, when he shall return from the wedding; that, when he cometh and knocketh, they may straightway open unto him. Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when He cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that He shall gird Himself, and make them sit down to meat, and shall come and serve them.
Note that to be served by Jesus, you will need to be watching for His return. The most faithful saints that will be watching for his return are the members of the Church of Philadelphia (Revelation chapter 3). They are now faithfully following Jesus and watching for His return, obeying His commands and being His disciples. Those Christians that are left behind to be tested the first half of the Tribulation will also need to be watching for His return at mid-Tribulation. Those gentiles that Jesus saves during the Tribulation should be watching for His return at the end of the Tribulation and many Jews from the Tribulation will also be watching for His return. Jesus will serve all of these that are watching for His return at the great wedding feast. Perhaps those believers that have not watched for His return will be served by the holy angels.
What will people eat during the Millennial Kingdom?
I believe that the main foods for humankind will be the same as Adam and Eve had in the garden of Eden before their fall. They were in perfect health and the fruit they ate was delicious and very nutritious. There may be other foods that Jesus will allow mankind to eat such as bread and possibly fish. Milk, cheese and honey will also be nourishment for mankind. I don't know if Jesus will allow animals such as cattle to be killed so their flesh could be used for nourishment or not. Whatever mankind is allowed to eat during the Millennial Kingdom will also be available to be eaten by those that inhabit the earth after the Millennial Kingdom is finished and into Eternity.
As a note, all descendants of Jacob and Gentiles saved during the Tribulation will inhabit the earth during Eternity. They will have access to the fruits of the Tree of Life (now currently in Heaven) and will enjoy living forever by periodically eating this fruit. The fruit from this tree will be brought to mankind from Heaven by the holy angels (Revelation 22:2).
Judgment of Sin and Legal cases during the Millennial Kingdom
The judgment by Jesus and His saints will be a righteous judgment. He will know all of the attributes of one case of a human against another as well as any sin that a human might commit during the Millennial Kingdom. Each person judged of sin will have a perfect judgment and punishment will be meted out by Jesus and by those believers that Jesus ordains as judges. There will be no bribes given or taken at court appearances. Believers will not get unfair judgments and leniency will not be handed out to those that break the law. A murderer will not get released after only a few years of incarceration or sexual offenders and child molesters released before their sentence has been served. I suspect that the crime rate during the Millennial Kingdom will be extremely low because crime and sin will not be tolerated by Jesus. You will be able to walk down the streets of the world at that time and not worry about being robbed or assaulted.
The Wolf and Lion will lie down with the Lamb and the Ox
The lion will still be magnificent with his great coat and his powerful presence. However, he will not need to kill anything to get his sustenance. He will eat grass, just like the lamb does. Perhaps the grass that will grow will be high in protein, so the lion will not need to have a large stomach such as plant eaters need. When Adam and Eve fell, the animals also fell and death has been a part of their existence since the fall of man. This need to be aggressive will be removed from both the plant eaters as well as the carnivores.
Isaiah 65:19 And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people; and there shall be heard in her no more the voice of weeping and the voice of crying.
The descendants of Jacob have certainly gone through rough times during their lifetime on the earth. They have been conquered by Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. They had little freedom and much pain inflicted upon them in Old Testament times. After the destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70, most were dispersed throughout the nations and while there were greatly persecuted. There has been much weeping and sorrow by the descendants of Jacob over the centuries. God has allowed them to be severely persecuted because most have been unfaithful to God. Just read the books of the Old Testament; few were faithful to God.
This weeping and pain will completely cease and the descendants of Jacob will be honored by all of the gentile nations of the world; all those that Jesus has saved. Instead of crying, there will be laughter and joy because they will be protected by Jesus. They will be leaders upon the earth during the Millennial Kingdom and in Eternity and they will be loved and respected by the gentiles that Jesus saves.
Isaiah 65:20 There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days; for the child shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner being a hundred years old shall be accursed.
The Gentiles that did not take the mark of the beast (666) at mid-Tribulation will be allowed to enter the Millennial Kingdom and dwell there under the watchful eye of Jesus Christ. All will be saved that begin the 1,000 kingdom, but they will still have their sinful nature. Jesus will make sure that the holy scripture is understood by all including the need to refrain from sin and the need to live holy lives that glorify God. Most will live this life in obedience to Jesus. If they do, they will live long and fruitful lives. Some may even live the whole 1,000 years in obedience to God, even though they still have their propensity to sin. There will be some that will rebel and Jesus will then just have their lives taken by His holy angels. Even these will live to be 100 years old or so. Even the children that now die at childbirth or only live a few years: this will not happen in the Millennial Kingdom. The earliest a person will die will be at 100.
Isaiah 65:21 And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.
Gentiles will build houses and they will be very comfortable. They will be allowed musical instruments and art and craft supplies and be able to be very creative. They will also be able to plant their own fruit trees, grape vines, strawberries and other fruit. They will also be able to have pets and perhaps milk cows and goats for cheese, milk and ice cream. This will be a very satisfying life and they will enjoy nature without the toil that we now have farming and raising animals. It will be work, but very satisfying work.
Isaiah 65:22-23 They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree shall be the days of my people, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, nor bring forth for calamity; for they are the seed of the blessed of Jehovah, and their offspring with them.
Throughout the centuries that man has lived on the earth a person and his family could build a house, plant a field, raise sheep and cattle, weave their clothing, and make money by selling their produce. However, they might not be able to enjoy the fruit of their labors because another man might come along and steal it from them. How awful--you work hard for something and a thief just steals it from them. You build a house and an evil judge or ruler simply takes it from you. This thievery will not happen in the Millennium Kingdom.
Isaiah 65:24 And it shall come to pass that, before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.
Of course Jesus knows our thoughts and during the Millennial Kingdom He will be in close fellowship with all. He will know what they will be saying to Him and will give the perfect answer to them. If their request is in line with His will, He will say yes and give to them what they want. I suspect that because they have a close walk with Jesus, their request will be for Him to give them wisdom in living and especially for understanding the Holy Scripture.
Isaiah 11:6-8 And the wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
The dangerous animals that now cause grief and sometimes death upon humans will have their destructive nature removed and will not harm either other animals or humans. When the Millennial Kingdom begins, all animals will be vegetarians; including those animals that live on the earth, fly in the skies or live in the oceans, rivers or lakes. Insects are not mentioned here, but I believe that humans will not be bitten by mosquitoes or ticks and gnats will not fly into our eyes or ears when we are walking outside. Snakes or scorpions or spiders will not attempt to bite us when we are outside.
During the Millennial Kingdom there will be no carnivorous animals on the earth. The children will make friends with the gentle animals such as lambs and calves as well as the lions, bears, rhinos and other animals that are now dangerous. In the midst of these animals children will play with them and all will be the best of friends. The lions, tigers and bears will be friendly like our pet dogs.
Isaiah 11:7-8 And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.
This poisonous asp or adder snakes will not have or need any poison glands and will not need to bite anyone, especially a child that might be playing nearby.
Isaiah 11:9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea.
Those animals mentioned above will have their aggressive nature removed and will be like they were before the fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. What a wonderful world that will be without the dangers that are now in nature. The animals will have some kind of knowledge of God and perhaps they will be allowed to live forever on the earth.
The Millennial Temple
Isaiah 2:2 And it shall come to pass in the latter days, that the mountain of Jehovah's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.
The Millennial Kingdom temple will be rebuilt and will sit on the highest mountain in Israel. This temple will be in the same place that Solomon's Temple stood. There Jesus will receive people from all nations around the world. They will come and worship Him there and He will impart Biblical wisdom to them.
Isaiah 2:3 And many peoples shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of Jehovah, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of Jehovah from Jerusalem.
People of the various nations will come to hear the wisdom from Jesus. The people will not only hear the words of Jesus, but also be very willing to obey whatever He tells them. He will explain the various verses in the Old and New Testaments and all will understand. The law He will teach will be the Ten Commandments and the two Love Commands:
You shall love the Lord your God will all your heart, soul, mind and strength and your neighbor as yourself. (See the Book of Deuteronomy)
Isaiah 2:4 And he will judge between the nations, and will decide concerning many peoples; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
Jesus will know the hearts and minds of people of the various nations. He will peer deep into their hearts and know their flaws and strengths. From this knowledge He will make righteous decisions concerning any individual or national conflicts. They will listen to Him and destroy all their weapons of war and conflict and there no longer be any wars across the earth.. They will focus on simple yet satisfying efforts such as family farming. They will have the most beautiful fruit trees and grape vines and produce delicious apples, peaches, pears, cherries and other fruit and the most wonderful wine from their grape vines.
Service for the unfaithful?
What will the unfaithful Christians do during the Millennial Kingdom? We know that they will have no cities to rule over and will not be leaders in any cities of the world. We know that they will not attend the Marriage Festivities at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. Any ceremonies that Jesus gives to praise His faithful saints the unfaithful will only be able to watch, but not to receive any recognition or awards.
I cannot find any verses that describe what they will be doing. Because they have been reprimanded for their unfaithfulness at their judgment at the Judgment Seat of Christ, they will cry then and they will most likely be crying during the Millennial Kingdom. This is so sad; however they chose to be unfaithful to Jesus. They did not study their Bibles, they did not pray, they did not watch for Christ's return, they committed various sins and did not confess them to God (I John 1:9), they did not bring up their families in the way of The Lord; they were spiritual failures. At their judgment time their works were wood, hay and stubble and these were burnt up at that time (Judgment Seat of Christ).
We know that after the Millennial Kingdom comes to an end, the unfaithful will not cry any more because Jesus will then allow them to have fellowship with Himself and other faithful believers:
Revelation 21:4 and he shall wipe away every tear from their eyes; and death shall be no more; neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain, any more: the first things are passed away.
Fellowship for the faithful
Here are a few thoughts about the fellowship that Jesus Christ will have with His faithful saints of the Old Testament, the 2000 year Church Age, gentiles saved during the Tribulation and the descendants of Israel through all ages. We do know that there will be a walk with Jesus and conversation. I believe that His faithful will be able to pray to Him continually and that He will respond back to them. Even after the Marriage festivities, Jesus may invite His faithful across the world to come to dinner and fellowship with Him at various times during the year; most probably at the time of The Seven Feasts. Perhaps this fellowship will be so wonderful, that we might not understand it very well now because we are so much less spiritual than we will be when we receive our holy resurrection bodies and have our sinful nature removed. Perhaps when we pray to God the Father He will respond back to us and we will hear Him speaking to us. Both God the Father and Jesus will tell us often how much they love us and we will respond back with our thanksgiving, praise and our love.
The Final Battle
By the end of the Millennial Kingdom, many gentiles will be born and some of these will be unsaved. There is rebellion in their hearts but because Jesus is King over the earth, this rebellion will be held in check until the completion of the thousand year kingdom. Jesus will then allow Satan and his fallen angels to come out of the bottomless pit and they will be allowed to deceive the fallen people of the world. Satan will thus reveal the sin and rebellion in their hearts; he will deceive the unsaved nations of the world and make them believe that they can conquer Jesus and thus take over and rule the world. They will then get together a great army and attempt to surround and conquer Jesus at His city of Jerusalem. This is folly, because all He does is speak the word and a great fire from Heaven comes down and completely destroys all these people; this final battle between good and evil takes all of one hour to complete:
Revelation 20:7-9 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them.
Satan and his fallen angels are judged
After Satan deceives the Gentiles at the end of the Millennial Kingdom he is captured and taken before Jesus and his many evil deeds are then judged by Jesus Christ:
Revelation 20:10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where are also the beast and the false prophet; and they shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
I believe this judgment also includes the judgment of all of the fallen angels as well. This lake has both fire and brimstone in it, so this has to be the most severe punishment that is is possible to be given. The evil three mentioned in this verse as well as all of the fallen angels will remain forever in this most terrible place to be: the Lake of Fire. This punishment for Antichrist, the False Prophet and Satan and his angels will not only be physically painful, but also shame will be heaped on them because they committed the worst sin of all: forcing the false worship of Antichrist and Satan upon the unsaved people of the world instead of worship of the one true and living God: Yahweh--God the Father, Jesus Christ--God the Son and the Holy Spirit of God. Instead of worship, fame and fortune, Satan will be the most dishonored being in the Universe and Antichrist and the False Prophet will be the most dishonored humans in the Universe.
The Great White Throne Judgment
After the judgment mentioned above, every unsaved human that has ever lived will then be resurrected and they will stand before Jesus for their judgment in front of the Great White Throne Judgment Seat of Christ. Each of their evil deeds will be remembered and announced by Jesus for all of the unsaved to hear. All of the saved will not receive the same punishment for their unholy deeds. Some will receive a very adverse judgment and others a less adverse judgment because some will have committed more evil than others. All of the unsaved will then be cast into the Lake of Fire; this fire will consume their bodies and it will be very painful. After that, all of the unsaved will then be cast into the Place of Torments (Sheol) in the earth somewhere:
Psalm 9:17 The wicked will return to Sheol, Even all the nations who forget God.
Satan and his angels will also be sent to Hell and punished forever there and they will be engulfed in the eternal punishment of the Lake of Fire:
Matthew 25:41 Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into the eternal fire which is prepared for the devil and his angels.
What about sin?
God hates sin. I believe that the unsaved that are returned to Sheol will not have the opportunity to sin because they will be in torment of some kind; so much that they will not be able to sin. I also believe that Satan and the fallen angels will also not be allowed to sin. For more on this torment read: Hell.
Eternity
After the final judgment, Eternity will begin. The faithful saints of the Old Testament will reside in Heaven in close proximity to Jesus Christ and God the Father. All Christians will also reside in Heaven and the most faithful will share the throne of Jesus: members of the Bride of Christ. Less faithful Christians will be further away from Christ's throne. The unfaithful will live in Heaven but will reside even further from His throne. All will have great fellowship with and forever love and serve Jesus Christ and Yahweh, God the Father. For details read Revelation chapter 21 and 22: the New Heaven and the New Earth.