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VII. Coming Events and Signs of
the Times
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Chapter 78
:
The Millennium
1.
WHAT text definitely brings the millennium to view?
"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and
judgment was given unto them: . . . and they
lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years."
Rev. 20:4.
2.
Whom does Paul say the saints are to judge?
"Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to
law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do
you not know that the saints shall judge the world? . .
. Know you not that we shall judge angels?" 1 Cor.
6:1-3.
NOTE.-From these scriptures it is plain that the
saints of all ages are to be engaged with Christ in
a work of "judgment" during the millennium, or one
thousand years.
3.
What prophecy had Paul upon which to base his statement?
"I beheld, and the same horn made war with the saints,
and prevailed against them; until the Ancient of days
came, and judgment was given to the saints of the
Most High." Dan. 7: 21,22.
4.
How many resurrections are there to be?
"Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the
which all that are in the graves shall hear His voice,
and shall come forth; they that have done good, unto
the resurrection of life; and they that have done
evil, unto the resurrection of damnation." John
5:28,29.
THE
MILLENNIUM
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The
millennium is the closing period of God's great week of
time-a great sabbath of rest to the earth and to the
people of God.
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It follows the close of the gospel age, and precedes
the setting up of the everlasting kingdom of God on
earth.
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It comprehends what in the Scriptures is frequently
spoken of as "the day of the Lord."
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It is bounded at each end by a resurrection.
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Its beginning is marked by the pouring out of the
seven last plagues, the second coming of Christ, the
resurrection of the righteous dead, the binding of
Satan, and the translation of the saints to heaven; and
its close, by the descent of the New Jerusalem, with
Christ and the saints, from heaven, the resurrection of
the wicked dead, the loosing of Satan, and the final
destruction of the wicked.
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During the one thousand years the earth lies desolate;
Satan and his angels are confined here; and the saints,
with Christ, sit in judgment on the wicked, preparatory
to their final punishment.
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The wicked dead are then raised; Satan is loosed for a
little season, and he and the host of the wicked
encompass the camp of the saints and the holy city, when
fire comes down from God out of heaven and devours them.
The earth is cleansed by the same fire that destroys the
wicked, and, renewed, becomes the eternal abode of the
saints.
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The millennium is one of "the ages to come." Its close
will mark the beginning of the new earth state.
5.
What class only have part in the first resurrection?
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the
first resurrection: on such the second death hath no
power." Rev. 20:6.
6.
What will Christ do with the saints when He comes?
"I will come again, and receive you unto Myself;
that where I am, there you may be also." John 14: 3.
NOTE.-In other words, Christ will take them to
heaven, there to live and reign with Him during the
one thousand years.
7.
Where did John, in vision, see the saints?
"After this I beheld, and, lo, a great multitude, which
no man could number, of all nations, and kindreds, and
people, and tongues, stood before the throne, and
before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, and palms
in their hands." Rev. 7:9.
NOTE.-This scripture shows plainly that the
righteous are all taken to heaven immediately after
the first resurrection. This accords with the words
of Christ in John 14:1-3, where He says, "I go to
prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come again, and receive you
unto Myself; that where I am, there you may be
also." Peter desired to accompany Christ to
those mansions; but Jesus answered, "Thou canst not
follow Me now; but thou shalt follow Me
afterwards." John 13:36. This makes it clear
that when Christ returns to earth to receive His
people, He takes them to the Father's house in
heaven.
8.
What becomes of the living wicked when Christ comes?
"As it was in the days of Noe, so shall it be
also in the days of the Son of man. They did eat, they
drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage,
until the day that Noe entered into the ark, and the
flood came, and destroyed them all. Likewise also as it
was in the days of Lot; . . . the same day that Lot
went out of Sodom it rained fire and brimstone from
heaven, and destroyed them all. Even thus shall it be
in the day when the Son of man is revealed." Luke
17:26-30.
9.
What does the Apostle Paul say concerning this?
"When they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden
destruction comes upon them. . . . and they shall
not
escape." 1 Thess.
5:3.
NOTE.-When Christ comes, the righteous will be delivered
and taken to heaven, and all the living wicked will be
suddenly destroyed, as they were at the time of the
flood. For further proof see 2 Thess. 1:7-9; Rev.
6:14-17; 19:11-21; Jer. 25:30-33. There will be no
general resurrection of the wicked until the end of the
one thousand years. This will leave the earth desolate
and without human inhabitant during this period.
10.
What description does the prophet Jeremiah give of the
earth during this time?
"I beheld the earth, and, lo, it was without form,
and void; and the heavens, and they had no light. I
beheld the mountains, and, lo, they trembled, and all
the hills moved lightly. I beheld, and, lo, there was
no man, and all the birds of the heavens were fled.
I beheld, and, lo, the fruitful place was a
wilderness, and all the cities thereof were broken down
at the presence of the Lord, and by His fierce anger."
Jer. 4:23-26.
NOTE.-At the coming of Christ the earth is reduced
to a chaotic state-to a mass of ruins. The heavens
depart as a scroll when it is rolled together;
mountains are moved out of their places; and the
earth is left a dark, dreary, desolate waste. See
Isa. 24:1-3; Rev. 6:14-17.
11.
How does Isaiah speak of the wicked at this time?
"It shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall
punish the host of the high ones that are on high, and
the kings of the earth upon the earth. And they shall be
gathered together, as prisoners are gathered in the pit,
and shall be shut up in the prison, and after
many days shall they be visited." Isa. 24:21,22.
12.
How long is Satan to be imprisoned on this earth?
"I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of
the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he
laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the
devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up,
and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the
nations no more, till the thousand years should be
fulfilled." Rev. 20:1-3.
NOTE.-The word rendered "bottomless pit" in this
text is abusos, the Greek term employed by the
Septuagint in Gen. 1: 2, as the equivalent of the
Hebrew word rendered "deep" in our English versions
A more literal translation would be "abyss." It is a
term applied to the earth in its desolate, waste,
chaotic, dark, uninhabited condition. In this
condition it will remain during the one thousand
years. It will be the dreary prison-house of Satan
during this period. Here, in the midst of the
smoldering bones of wicked dead, slain at Christ's
second coming, the broken-down cities, and the wreck
and ruin of all the pomp and power of this world,
Satan will have opportunity to reflect upon the
results of his rebellion against God. But the
prophecy of Isaiah says, "After many days shall they
be visited."
13.
The righteous dead are raised at Christ's second coming.
When will the rest of the dead, the wicked, be raised?
"The rest of the dead lived not again until the
thousand years were finished." Verse 5.
NOTES.-From this we see that the beginning and the
close of the millennium, or one thousand years, are
marked by the two resurrections.
The word millennium is from two Latin words,
mille, meaning a thousand, and annus,
year-a thousand years. It covers the time during
which Satan is to be bound and wicked men and angels
are to be judged. This period is bounded by distinct
events. Its beginning is marked by the close of
probation, the pouring out of the seven last
plagues, the second coming of Christ, and the
resurrection of the righteous dead. It closes with
the resurrection of the wicked, and their final
destruction in the lake of fire. See above diagram.
14.
What change is made in Satan's condition at the close of
the one thousand years?
"After that he must be loosed a little season."
Verse 3.
NOTE.-At the close of the one thousand years,
Christ, accompanied by the saints, comes to the
earth again, to execute judgment upon the wicked,
and to prepare the earth, by a re-creation, for the
eternal abode of the righteous. At this time, in
answer to the summons of Christ, the wicked dead of
all ages awake to life. This is the second
resurrection, the resurrection unto damnation. The
wicked come forth with the same rebellious spirit
which possessed them in this life. Then Satan is
loosed from his long period of captivity and
inactivity.
15.
As soon as the wicked are raised, what does Satan at
once proceed to do?
"When the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be
loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive
the nations which are in the four quarters of the
earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to
battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the
sea." Verses 7,8.
16.
Against whom do the wicked go to make war, and what is
the outcome?
"They went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved
city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and
devoured them." Verse 9.
NOTES.-This is the last act in the great controversy
between Christ and Satan. The whole human race meet
here for the first and last time. The eternal
separation of the righteous from the wicked here
takes place. At this time the judgment of God is
executed upon the wicked in the lake of fire. This
is the second death. This ends the great rebellion
against God and His government. Now is heard the
voice of God as He sits upon His throne, speaking to
the saints, and saying, "Behold, I make all things
new;" and out of the burning ruins of the old earth
there springs forth before the admiring gaze of the
millions of the redeemed, "a new heaven and a new
earth," in which they shall find an everlasting
inheritance and dwelling-place.
The millennium is a great sabbath of rest, both for
the earth and for God's people. For six thousand
years the earth and its inhabitants have been
groaning under the curse of sin. The millennium, the
seventh thousand, will be a sabbath of rest and
release; for, says the prophet concerning the land,
"as long as she lay desolate she kept sabbath."
2 Chron. 36:21. "There remaineth therefore a rest
[margin, keeping of a sabbath] to the people
of God." Heb. 4:9. This precedes the new earth
state.
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