December 29 - The Millennial Kingdom
Have you ever wondered what would the world look like without the tempter, deceiver and accuser – the dragon, that ancient serpent, the devil, Satan? The answer is obvious: this world would be a much better place. When the rule of the devil in the world is over, the King of kings and Lord of lords will rule the world. All the nations will come and pay tribute to the Lord in Jerusalem. Those who do not, their land will receive no rain. Even the nations will come for the Feast of Booths and worship Jehovah. Everyone will confess that God is One and there is none other. The curses from Genesis will be taken away and the inhabitants of Jerusalem will live in peace. This is the picture from the prophet Zechariah.
In the Book of Revelation, the Millennial Kingdom begins with the locking up of Satan in the bottomless pit for a thousand years. He will not be able to deceive the nations any longer for that period of time. Then thrones are set up with those who were given authority to judge seated on them. Then the first resurrection will take place: those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God, those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. These will come to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
These overcomers and those faithful to the Lord will be rewarded with the first resurrection because the second death will not have power over them. So they died once, the physical death. For those who are not risen the first time, they will go through the second death, a spiritual death. The overcomers will reign with Christ on earth, serving as priests of God and of Christ. The risen ones will live and rule with Christ along with other inhabitants of the earth. This is to show the whole world how different it is to have Christ’s rule as compared to the rule of Satan.
At the end of a thousand years, Satan will be released from his prison and deceives the nations once again. Gog and Magog will gather for the Battle of Armaggedon when God and the saints will defeat them a final time. The devil, the beast and the false prophet (the counterfeit trinity) will be thrown in to the lake of fire. Then the rest of humanity will be resurrected to the Great White Throne judgment, to be condemned to hell along with Death and Hades. Anyone whose name is not found in the book of life will meet their fate.
Do you have a desire to be included in the first resurrection? Are you loyal and true to your Lord and Master? Are you looking forward to the Millennial Kingdom? Do you know that you are going to reign with Christ? Have Him as your King now and you will experience the Kingdom of God before it comes at the end.
Ps 148:7-14 Zech 14:1-21 Rev 20:1-15 Prov 31:8-9