The Millennium (Isaiah 65:17-25)

Pastor Bob and Janet
Feb 3, 2019
3 min read

Revelation 21 talks of a new heaven and a new earth, and the Holy City coming out of heaven where believers, both those alive and also, those who have died in Christ, will dwell with God for 1,000 years. Jesus will reign from earth in the millennium, and Satan will be bound in the Abyss during the 1,000 years. Jesus' second coming initiates the 1,000 years, and during this time, it will be easier than it has ever been to accept Christ. However, there will still be those who reject Christ. Jesus taught us to pray for this day in his prayer that we call the Lord's Prayer, "Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10). This little taste of heaven on earth will mean a 1,000 years of peace. The wolf and lamb will live in harmony and the lion will eat straw like the ox. When Jesus comes in glory to initiate this 1,000 year reign, he will separate those who have accepted him (the sheep) from those who have rejected Christ (the goats).

I. The Sheep People (Matthew 25:31-34)

Jesus' second coming involves glory as well as judgement. At his coming, Jesus will sit on his throne, and from there, he will judge the nations. Those who have placed their faith in Christ and are known for their righteous acts, will be called the sheep. They will be separated from the goats and placed at the right hand of Christ. The sheep will be given eternal life in heaven. The goats are those who rejected Christ, and consequently, have chosen eternal punishment. For those in Christ, this will be a time of great rejoicing, and it will be like a restored Garden of Eden. There will be no sickness or tears, and those who have died before will be present.

II. The Suspension of the Normal Death Cycle (Isaiah 65:17-20)

During the Old Testament days, people lived a lot longer than the normal life span of today. Adam lived 920 years, Noah lived to be 950, and Methuselah lived 969 years. The normal life span of a person today is about 70-80 years (Psalm 90:10). In the Millennium, people will live throughout the years in a long life like that of a tree. Prayers will be answered as we are speaking them, violence will be gone, and peace between all creatures will reign. It definitely will be a great time for the gospel to flourish.

III. Sin's Last Chance (Isaiah 65:21-25)

Sin has been man's hindrance to knowing God since Adam and Eve failed in the Garden of Eden. God's desire has never been to leave man in sin. It is his desire that all men be saved from eternal punishment. From the Old Testament forward, God has provided for man to be saved, and as time moves forward, he has made it easier for man to accept him. Abraham's faith made him righteous, the prophets told of salvation, Jesus died for our sins, Pentecost and the church all had a part in man's salvation. There is but one way to the Father, and that is through the shed blood of his perfect son, Jesus. During the Millennium, faith will become sight as Jesus is present on earth, and accepting him will be so easy. So easy, but even so, not all people will accept Jesus because their heart is deceitful and desperately sick (Jeremiah 17:9). Man's heart can turn to Christ and accept his free gift of eternal life, or it can keep going its own way, resulting in eternal separation and punishment. This is a choice that everyone makes, and it is a choice of eternal consequences.

For the Christian, the Millennium is a time to anticipate with joy and longing. In the meantime, while we wait on Christ to come again, we must be busy sharing the gospel to our communities and to the nations. Amen.