What is the Millennial Kingdom in the Bible?

In previous chapters, we explored the return of Christ. In this chapter, we will study what will happen after His return and what believers will be doing during that time.

In the world, there are different countries, and some are more conducive to live in than others. In one country, the government is seen as a servant of the people; in another, the people are considered servants of the government. I am grateful to God that I live in the Netherlands, where I can freely practice my Christian faith. However, every government has flaws and enacts ungodly laws, which seems to deteriorate with each passing year. This leads us to wonder, 'Will there ever be a government that is absolutely godly, good, righteous, and just?' During the Great Tribulation, many believed that the world government would be perfectly ruled by the Antichrist. However, appearances can be deceiving: the Antichrist will be worse than any world leader we have seen to date. After the Antichrist and the Great Tribulation, a righteous and perfect kingdom will be established. Even the animals will no longer harm each other. The King of this kingdom has been on Earth before, demonstrating His great love for humanity. He loved humanity so much that He died for them on the cross. This King did not remain dead but rose from the dead. Ultimately, He will return and establish a kingdom known as the Thousand-Year Reign. That King is the Lord Jesus.

In this chapter, we will examine the key aspects of the Thousand-Year Reign. Many Bible verses from the old and new testaments speak of this time, and we will examine these verses to understand Jesus' reign and its impact on the Earth and its inhabitants. The Thousand-Year Reign will occur after the Great Tribulation and is a literal kingdom on Earth. From the multitude of verses, we can ascertain that the Thousand-Year Reign is not a symbolic or spiritual representation that has already happened or is presently happening.

Jesus Reigns on Earth

As revealed in the scripture, the Lord Jesus will rule on Earth. Finally, a righteous King will reign. Today, the Lord Jesus is exalted above all powers and authorities (Colossians 2:10). During the Thousand-Year Reign, Jesus will physically rule on Earth and dwell amongst His people. The Lord Jesus is associated with King David in the following passages because God made a promise to King David that his kingdom would endure forever, and a descendant of David would always sit on his throne (2 Samuel 7:16). The Lord Jesus is a descendant of David, which allows Him to sit on the throne of David forever and rule over Israel and all nations.

"And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bring forth a Son, and shall call His name Jesus. He will be great, and will be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David. And He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)

"And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse (Jesus Christ), Who shall stand as a banner to the people; for the Gentiles shall seek Him, and His resting place shall be glorious." (Isaiah 11:10)

"Sing and rejoice, O daughter of Zion! For behold, I am coming and I will dwell in your midst,' says the LORD. 'Many nations shall be joined to the LORD in that day, and they shall become My people. And I will dwell in your midst. Then you will know that the LORD of hosts has sent Me to you." (Zechariah 2:10-11)

"For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet." (1 Corinthians 15:25)

"Behold, the days are coming,' says the LORD, 'that I will raise to David a BRANCH of righteousness; a King shall reign and prosper, and execute judgment and righteousness in the earth." (Jeremiah 23:5)

"But they shall serve the LORD their God, and David their king, whom I will raise up for them." (Jeremiah 30:9)

"Afterward the children of Israel shall return and seek the LORD their God and David their king. They shall fear the LORD and His goodness in the latter days." (Hosea 3:5)

His Followers Reign with Jesus on Earth

The Lord Jesus will not reign alone during the Thousand-Year Reign. The believers will also reign with Him. It's almost unimaginable that we get to reign with the Lord during the Thousand-Year Reign, but the Bible is filled with verses that affirm this privilege. We serve a gracious and loving God! Believers will be resurrected, enabling them to reign alongside Him. Paul wrote about the resurrection of believers in 1 Corinthians:

"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive. But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming." (1 Corinthians 15:22-23)

When will the followers of Christ be resurrected from the dead? At the coming of Christ, also known as the Rapture of the Church! Those who come to faith during the Great Tribulation will be raised to life after the tribulation. Together, we will reign with Christ. The following verses establish the truth about our reign with Christ.

"And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)

"Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if the world will be judged by you, are you unworthy to judge the smallest matters?" (1 Corinthians 6:2)

"You are already full! You are already rich! You have reigned as kings without us—and indeed, I could wish you did reign, that we also might reign with you!" (1 Corinthians 4:8)

In the previous text, Paul criticized the church in Corinth. He stated that the church acted as if everything had already been accomplished and they had reached the pinnacle. Paul sarcastically said, "You are already kings! And would to God you did reign so that we might also reign with you." Paul did not say, "You cannot become kings at all," but rather, "Would that you were kings, for then we would also be kings with you." This event will take place during the Millennial Reign.

"If we endure, we shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us." (2 Timothy 2:12)

"But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever." (Daniel 7:18)

"Then the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High. His kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey Him." (Daniel 7:27)

The twelve apostles of Jesus will rule over the twelve tribes of Israel. This will be their reward for following Jesus and proclaiming His Word to the people. Almost all the apostles were martyred, meaning they were brutally killed for their faith in Jesus. Nevertheless, they will live during the Millennial Reign and lead the people of Israel.

"Then Peter answered and said to Him, "See, we have left all and followed You. Therefore, what shall we have?" So Jesus said to them, "Assuredly I say to you, that in the regeneration, when the Son of Man sits on the throne of His glory, you who have followed Me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel."" (Matthew 19:27-28)

The Devil is Locked Away for a Thousand Years

People are continuously deceived and misled by the devil. The devil even attempted to deceive Jesus in the wilderness but failed (Matthew 4:1-11). The devil seeks to ensnare and destroy as many believers as possible.

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour." (1 Peter 5:8)

During the Millennial Reign, for the first time, humanity will no longer be subject to the deception and lies of the devil because he will be locked away for a thousand years.

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while." (Revelation 20:1-3)

Finally, humanity will find rest and be free from the deception of the devil. Does this mean that people will no longer commit wrongdoings during the Millennial Reign?

"The LORD within her is righteous; He does no injustice; every morning He shows forth His justice; each dawn He does not fail; but the unjust knows no shame." (Zephaniah 3:5, ESV)

"Every morning I will destroy all the wicked of the land, so as to cut off from the city of the LORD all those who do iniquity." (Psalm 101:8, ESV)

"No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, but the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed." (Isaiah 65:20, ESV)

Unfortunately, people will continue to sin during the Millennial Reign. Many will reject the supremacy of God. In this current dispensation, they might say, "We don't know God, so it's not fair," but during the Millennial Reign, it will become clear that many people intentionally refuse to serve God, even when He reveals Himself to the world. God gives every person a choice, and everyone can choose whether they want to spend eternity with God or live in separation in Gehenna (Hell). Is this disobedience only related to individuals or entire nations? Unfortunately, it involves both individuals and nations. We'll briefly examine this in the subsequent pages of this book. Below is a Bible verse that reveals the punishment of the nation:

"And it shall come to pass that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which the LORD strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zechariah 14:17-19)

People live on Earth

In the kingdom of peace, people live on Earth. For now, I'm not referring to the born-again Christians who have been revived; I'm talking about ordinary people, like those we see today. I mean those who are born of women and have not yet received glorified bodies. These ordinary people will enjoy greater blessings than the people of today, and no one will doubt the existence of Jesus Christ, as He will dwell on Earth. Here is an overview of the circumstances surrounding people on Earth.

1. They will live for a thousand years. The aging process will be slowed down, making a hundred-year-old person considered young.

"No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; for the child shall die one hundred years old, (…) For as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, (…)" (Isaiah 65:20-22)

2. People will obey the Lord Jesus. The following texts demonstrate that this obedience is not always with joy; some will approach Him in fear and trembling. Nevertheless, they will listen to Him and live in obedience.

"They shall lick the dust like a serpent; they shall crawl from their holes like snakes of the earth. They shall be afraid of the LORD our God, and shall fear because of You." (Micah 7:17)

"You have delivered me from the contentions of the people; You have made me the head of the nations; a people I have not known shall serve me. As soon as they hear of me, they shall obey me; the foreigners shall submit to me." (Psalm 18:44-45)

The previous Psalm primarily spoke about David's kingship. This Psalm has a historical context, but simultaneously, the Bible often operates prophetically. This means that some Old Testament texts contain historical occurrences and future fulfillment (Hebrews 8:5). Many stories and prophecies were fulfilled by the first coming of the Lord Jesus, and this Psalm points to His Second Coming during the Millennial reign. The nations will obey the Lord Jesus, even though they may pretend to submit. In other words, they will act as if they are obedient.

"Say to God, "How awesome are Your works! Through the greatness of Your power, Your enemies shall submit themselves to You."" (Psalm 66:3)

3. The People will come to Jerusalem to be instructed by the Word of God and to celebrate. Thankfully, there will be people in the Millennial reign who genuinely desire to obey the Lord Jesus, learn about Him, and see His glory.

"Many people shall come and say, "Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways, and we shall walk in His paths." For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem." (Isaiah 2:3)

"It shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles." (Zechariah 14:16)

"Arise, shine; for your light has come! And the glory of the LORD is risen upon you. For behold, the darkness shall cover the earth, and deep darkness the people; but the LORD will arise over you, and His glory will be seen upon you. The Gentiles shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising." (Isaiah 60:1-3)

"They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9)

4. People will no longer engage in warfare and conflict. In the Millennial reign, there will be a thousand years of peace. Today, we see many weapons, wars, and terrorism around us, causing severe pain and suffering. How hopeful are the words that there will be no more war and nations will not know weapons?

"He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; 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 anymore." (Isaiah 2:4)

"(…) I will also cause all her mirth to cease, her feast days, her New Moons, her Sabbaths—all her appointed feasts." (Hosea 2:11)

5. The idolatry in the land disappears. People no longer call upon their idols (Including Baal) but upon the true God.

"Therefore by this the iniquity of Jacob will be covered; and this is all the fruit of taking away his sin: when he makes all the stones of the altars like chalkstones that are beaten to dust—wooden images and incense altars shall not stand." (Isaiah 27:9)

""It shall be, in that day," says the LORD, "That you will call Me "My Husband," and no longer call Me "My Master," for I will take from her mouth the names of the Baals, and they shall be remembered by their name no more."" (Hosea 2:15-16)

The inhabitants of the Earth will call upon the true God, the God of Israel, and He will answer their call.

"It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer; and while they are still speaking, I will hear." (Isaiah 65:24)

6. People who ascend to Jerusalem will be reminded of God's judgments during the Great Tribulation. God will use feasts and remembrance points so that humanity doesn't forget what He has done. This will also occur in the Millennial Reign.

"And they shall go forth and look upon the corpses of the men who have transgressed against Me. For their worm does not die, and their fire is not quenched. They shall be an abhorrence to all flesh." (Isaiah 66:24)

7. There will still be sorrow in the Millennium reign. Even though people will live for a thousand years and everything on Earth will be restored, sad events will still occur. For example, the memories of the Great Tribulation and the terrible times people endured. God promises that He will wipe away every tear from all faces. Certainly, no one is better at comforting than God.

"He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 25:8)

8. But the wicked and those who do not believe in the Lord Jesus will remain dead and gone during the Millennial reign. They await the Great White Throne, which comes after the Millennium.

"But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection." (Revelation 20:5)

After the Millennium, they will rise to be judged according to their deeds (Revelation 20:12). It will be a terrible punishment, and no one will escape it. Only those whose names are written in the Book of Life, the followers of Jesus, will escape the punishment.

"Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation." (John 5:28-29)

Israel and Jerusalem Will Be Restored

Israel was chosen by God to be His people, and in the blessing of Israel, all other nations will be blessed (Genesis 12:1-3). This blessing has already been poured out upon the nations that bless Israel, but it will be more evident during the Millennial Reign. It is crucial to bless the nation of Israel and pray for the peace of Jerusalem. During Jesus' first coming, He mourned over Jerusalem. He found it distressing that Jerusalem would be destroyed (Which happened in the past) (Luke 19:41-44). However, Jerusalem will be restored to its glory and become the capital of the world. The following events will happen to Israel and Jerusalem:

1. Jerusalem will be rebuilt. In today’s world, Jerusalem exists and is a beautiful city with tourist attractions. During the Millennial Reign, Jerusalem will shine even more, and it is compared to Eden and the Garden of the LORD by the prophet Isaiah. Jerusalem has been partially restored today, but the best is yet to come.

"For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD; joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody." (Isaiah 51:3)

"For God will save Zion and build the cities of Judah, that they may dwell there and possess it." (Psalm 69:36)

"The LORD builds up Jerusalem; He gathers together the outcasts of Israel." (Psalm 147:2)

2. The pain and shame will be removed from Israel. For example, the shame they will feel when they realize they rejected the Messiah. God will take away that shame and dwell with them in the land of Israel. Israel will be a place of joy and eternal glory.

"He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord GOD will wipe away tears from all faces; the rebuke of His people He will take away from all the earth; for the LORD has spoken." (Isaiah 25:8)

"A light to bring revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of Your people Israel." (Luke 2:32)

"Instead of your shame you shall have double honor, and instead of confusion they shall rejoice in their portion. Therefore in their land they shall possess double; everlasting joy shall be theirs." (Isaiah 61:7)

3. Israel and Jerusalem will become the center of the Earth, and Jerusalem will serve as the world's capital.

"Now it shall come to pass in the latter days that the mountain of the LORD's house shall be established on the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, 'Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; (...) For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge between many peoples, and rebuke strong nations afar off; (...) And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be—" (Micah 4:1-7)

"Foreigners shall build up your walls, and their kings shall minister to you; for in My wrath I struck you, but in My favor I have had mercy on you. Therefore your gates shall be open continually; they shall not be shut day or night, that men may bring to you the wealth of the Gentiles, and their kings in procession. For the nation and kingdom which will not serve you shall perish, and those nations shall be utterly ruined." (Isaiah 60:10-12)

4. The Temple will be rebuilt. The Lord Jesus will return to Earth and dwell amongst His people. In other words, from a human perspective, the Lord Jesus will need a place to dwell. In the Old Testament, God dwelt in the tabernacle and later in the temple. From the day of Pentecost onward, God, in the form of the Holy Spirit, dwelt in humans, making our bodies the temples of the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 6:19). During the Millennial Reign, the temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt. There will likely be another temple in Jerusalem during the Great Tribulation.

"Behold, the Man whose name is the BRANCH! From His place, He shall branch out, and He shall build the temple of the LORD; yes, He shall build the temple of the LORD. He shall bear the glory, and shall sit and rule on His throne." (Zechariah 6:12-13)

"I will make a covenant of peace with them, and it shall be an everlasting covenant with them; I will establish them and multiply them, and I will set My sanctuary in their midst forevermore. My tabernacle also shall be with them; indeed, I will be their God, and they shall be My people. The nations also will know that I, the LORD, sanctify Israel, when My sanctuary is in their midst forevermore." (Ezekiel 37:26-28)

The Ark of the Covenant, upon which the glory of God rested in the Old Testament, will no longer be there. People won't even think about the Ark because the Lord Jesus will physically dwell among them, rendering the Ark unnecessary.

"Then it shall come to pass, when you are multiplied and increased in the land in those days,' says the LORD, 'that they will say no more, "The ark of the covenant of the LORD." It shall not come to mind, nor shall they remember it, nor shall they visit it, nor shall it be made anymore. At that time Jerusalem shall be called the Throne of the LORD, and all the nations shall be gathered to it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem. No more shall they follow the dictates of their evil hearts." (Jeremiah 3:16-17)

Furthermore, temple services and sacrifices will be reinstated, as revealed by the prophet Ezekiel. To get an idea of what the temple will look like and what will happen in the temple, you can read the Book of Ezekiel 40- 48. On the one hand, it seems strange that sacrifices are resumed since the Lord Jesus has once and for all made atonement with His blood between humans and God. On the other hand, God prefers to work through memorials and feasts so that the temple, with its sacrificial activities, will be moments for people to remember what the Lord Jesus has done. Just as the Israelites did this in the past to know that the Messiah will come to bring reconciliation in the future, they will do this in the Millennial Reign to remember that the Messiah has come to bring reconciliation.

Finally, the heavenly temple was mentioned. This temple is currently in heaven, where an altar and a throne are also located. When Moses built the tabernacle, he did so based on a vision of the heavenly temple/tabernacle. This heavenly temple/tabernacle symbolizes the Lord Jesus and serves as a representation of Him. Perhaps the temple during the Millennial Reign will also depict the Lord Jesus and serve as a representation of Him.

5. Israel will forever dwell in its own land. Israel will not be attacked due to world peace, and the Jews will live safely in their land.

"Also your people shall all be righteous; they shall inherit the land forever, the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, that I may be glorified." (Isaiah 60:21)

The Earth Is Restored

Currently, we live in a fallen world; this is evident from the terrible things individuals engage in, such as wars, shootings, violence, corruption, and deceit. The entire creation has also fallen due to the sin of Adam and Eve. Animals attack other animals and humans, and some animals are venomous, causing harm or death with a single bite. During the Millennial Reign, the creation will be restored, and the animal world will no longer harm each other.

"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den." (Isaiah 11:6-8)

"The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain,' says the LORD." (Isaiah 65:25)

Besides the animal kingdom, God will resolve our climate crisis. Recently, there has been growing awareness among humans about the need to preserve the climate. This has led to the sustainability of energy sources, and we see more solar panels and wind turbines. While environmental consciousness and responsible stewardship of nature are commendable, humans will not succeed in solving the climate crisis by their own ability. Amazingly, God will resolve these challenges during the Millennial Reign, allowing the Earth to be restored.

"The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose." (Isaiah 35:1)

"I will open rivers in desolate heights, and fountains in the midst of the valleys; I will make the wilderness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water. I will plant in the wilderness the cedar, the acacia tree, the myrtle, and the oil tree; I will set in the desert the cypress tree and the pine and the box tree together, that they may see and know, and consider and understand together, that the hand of the LORD has done this, and the Holy One of Israel has created it." (Isaiah 41:18-20)

"For the LORD will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the LORD. (…)" (Isaiah 51:3)

The End of the Millennial Reign

The above passages are indeed beautiful, and you might think that it can't get any better. However, the Millennial Reign will come to an end, a decision made by God. Don't worry! Something even better is coming! But first, a few significant events will occur before the new era begins.

1. The devil will be imprisoned for a thousand years before the Millennial Reign. God has decided that after the Millennial Reign, he will be released from his captivity for a short time. After his release, the devil immediately does what he does best: he deceives people.

"Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea." (Revelation 20:7-8)

The devil manages to deceive many people. 'Whose number is as the sand of the sea' indicates that this is an innumerable multitude of people. It’s sad to see that humans allow themselves to be deceived so easily. For a thousand years, they lived together with God, and yet they let themselves be deceived by the devil into waging war. Most people weren’t even exposed to war and weapons, since there have been a thousand years of peace. You may ask, why does God release the devil when He knows that he will wage war against Him? During the Millennial Reign, people outwardly obey God and the Lord Jesus, but their obedience is often superficial. In reality, they don't want to obey God. God wants to give everyone a choice: Will you choose me or not? Even the people living in the Millennial Reign will face this choice. Will they listen to God or the devil? Adam and Eve chose the devil at the beginning of creation. You would think that humanity has learned some lessons from history and life with God, but that is far from the truth. Many choose the devil and go to war, which is addressed in the next point.

2. There will be a final war waged against God, the Lord Jesus, and His saints. As stated earlier, the inhabitants of the Earth let themselves be deceived and believed they could defeat God. Let's read what will happen. Will it be a neck-and-neck race?

"They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them." (Revelation 20:9)

Indeed, fire comes down from God to Earth and devours them. God is infinitely more powerful than humans and the devil. He has triumphed, and every inhabitant of Earth has decided to live with God or without Him.

3. The devil will be thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone as an eternal punishment. I cannot imagine what hell looks like. The Bible speaks of the devil and the false prophet being tormented day and night in a fire that never goes out (Mark 9:43-44). It will not be a pleasant place to be, let alone an eternal destination for the devil and his followers.

"The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever." (Revelation 20:10)

4. Before the New Heaven and New Earth are created, there will be a final judgment. Believers will not be subject to this judgment. This judgment will solely involve the dead, those who have remained spiritually dead or refused to believe in God and His Son. They will receive a fair judgment from the Lord Jesus, but there is no one who earns acquittal through their own deeds. Everyone who appears before this judgment will be lost, and there is no turning back. Before the judgment is pronounced, the earth and the heavens will pass away and disappear.

"Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:11-15)

Every dead person will be judged and cast into the lake of fire. This is the same place where the devil and his cohorts are cast, and it is an eternal abode of pain and regret. The only ones who escape this fate are those whose names are written in the Book of Life. These are the followers of Jesus. Thankfully, by the sacrifice of Jesus, they are not cast into the lake of fire but will partake in the New Heaven and the New Earth.

Summary

The Millennial Reign is a physical kingdom on Earth. During this reign, the Lord Jesus rules alongside His followers on Earth, and the devil is imprisoned and unable to deceive people. The people in this kingdom are more blessed than us, living for a thousand years without war. Additionally, the natural world and the animal kingdom will be restored. While Israel and Jerusalem will become the center of the Earth. This reign will end when God releases the devil, who then deceives the inhabitants of the Earth. They wage war against God, and He destroys them with fire. While the unbelievers are cast into hell, the believers enter eternity with God.

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