The Millennial Age – Part 1: Leading up to the Millennium

The Millennial Age – Part 1: Leading up to the Millennium  

This is the first in a series on the Millennial Age. I have taken for granted that Christians are informed about the Millennial Age, but come to find out I have been mistaken. I find that most teachings I hear about the end of this age goes right to the Throne in Heaven. Streets of gold, no more tears, no pain. There is a lot missing in those messages – like 1000 years. 

Before we get to the Millennial Age it’s important to explain what happens at the time of death both for the Christian and the unbeliever. Both the Christian’s and the unbeliever’s body decomposes when they die. In Genesis 3:19 God says to Adam: “For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” That sadly is the end of the similarities between the believer in Christ and the unbeliever upon their deaths. The Christian’s spirit and soul go straight to the Throne in Heaven when they die, but not so for the unbeliever. We can find in 2 Corinthians 5, Revelation 6, and Revelation 7 what the Bible says about the believer’s spirit and soul when they die: 

We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8 

When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. 10 And they cried with a loud voice, saying, “How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?” 11 Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed. Revelation 6:9-11 

After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, saying, “Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!” 13 Then one of the elders answered, saying to me, “Who are these arrayed in white robes, and where did they come from?” 14 And I said to him, “Sir, you know.” So he said to me, “These are the ones who come out of the great tribulation, and washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 “Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve Him day and night in His temple. And He who sits on the throne will dwell among them.” Revelation 7:9-10, 7:13-15 

However, the spirit and soul of the unbeliever is not as the believer. Revelation 20:13 states: And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one [of them] according to their deeds. This is after the tribulation (Matthew 24), after the rapture of the church (1 Corinthians 15), after the first resurrection (Revelation 20:4-6), and after the Millennial Age (Revelation 20:3, 6, 7). In Revelation 20 we read that these dead talked about in verse 13 were not part of the first resurrection, but were in the second resurrection and were coming from death, Hades, and the sea. (The sea could be a reference to the nations, as it seems it is in Revelation 13:1.) The first resurrection is where the Christians are resurrected at the coming of Jesus Christ (Matthew 24:31, Luke 14:14, John 5:29, 1 Corinthians 15: 51, and 1 Thessalonians 4:16). The second resurrection is where those who have done evil are resurrected to judgment (John 5:29). 

Here is a brief outline of events in the end-times:

1.     The first half of the Tribulation lasting 3 ½ years.

a.     The beginning of birth pains—see Matthew 24:8.

b.     The rise of the antichrist.

c.      The Bride of Christ is taken into the wilderness to be kept safe from Satan right at the end of the first 3 ½ years, which is the beginning of the 2^nd 3 ½ years. Revelation 12.

2.     The 2^nd half of the Tribulation (also 3 ½ years, 1260 days, time, times and ½ time).

a.     The Abomination of Desolation set up in the Temple begins the 2^nd half of the Tribulation. Daniel 12:11 and Matthew 24:15

b.      It is the most severe time on earth except for the 30 days after the rapture of the church mentioned in Daniel 12:11.

c.      The seals—Revelation 5-7.

d.     Trumpets 1-6 found in Revelation 8:6-Revelation 11. Trumpets 5-7 are also called woes.

3.     The return of Jesus Christ, the rapture of the Church, and the 1^st resurrection (1 Corinthians 15) are all occurring during the days of the sounding of the 7^th trumpet, which is at the end of the 1260 days of Revelation. See Revelation 10:7 and 11:15. Note the wording of 11:15 that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ. It must be the end. Furthermore, Revelation 10:7 states: “…but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.”  The last 30 days spoken in Daniel 12:11 are after the 1260 of the 2^nd half of the Tribulation and the rapture of the Church. These 30 days are the most severe time on earth. During these 30 days Jesus destroys the antichrist and his kingdom. Consider that when Daniel was spoken to by the angel the angel spoke like this: “Seventy weeks are determined For your people and for your holy city (meaning Jerusalem and the Israelites), To finish the transgression, To make an end of sins, To make reconciliation for iniquity, To bring in everlasting righteousness, To seal up vision and prophecy, And to anoint the Most Holy.” (Daniel 9:24) This discourse doesn’t mention the judgment of the antichrist, which is outside the 70 weeks.

5.     The Millennial Age.

6.     New Heavens and New Earth—Eternity  

Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I [saw] the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. Revelation 20:4-6