
                                   THE MILLENNIUM 

                   Ever since the dawn of civilization, man has longed 
              to live in a world where all his physical, mental and 
              spiritual desires could be fulfilled.  Why should such a 
              utopia be impossible?  Why can't man have a world at 
              peace, filled with joy and prosperity, racial harmony 
              and genuine love?  Yet, all of man's best efforts to 
              achieve this utopia have failed miserly.  This world is 
              full of people hungry and starving to death.  This world 
              is full of racial discord.  This world is filled with 
              hate and anger, crime, and wars.  Why is it that man 
              cannot throught his efforts achieve this utopia?
              
                   God has allowed a six thousand year period for 
              mankind to rule himself apart from God if man so 
              chooses.  During this time, God has, in a sense, kept 
              hands off the affairs of the world.  Man has pursued the 
              course that seems right to him.  But the six thousand 
              year time period is now almost up.  Your Creater has 
              planned a wonderful utopia for man.  A thousand years of 
              peace and prosperity are just around the corner, a world 
              bubbling over with joy and happiness.  This new order of 
              the happy WORLD TOMORROW will soon be here.  
                            
                   In Micah, the fourth chapter, a graphic description 
              is given us concerning this soon coming utopia.  Verse 
              one shows an end to the present crisis and God's 
              rulership established over the nations.  Then what 
              happens?  "And many nations shall come, and say, Come, 
              and let us go up to the mountain [government] of the 
              Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will 
              teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for 
              the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord 
              from Jerusalem.  And he shall judge among many people, 
              and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat 
              their swords into plowshares, and their spears into 
              pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against 
              nation, neither shall they learn war any more."  It's 
              time you knew about the coming utopia, a millennium of 
              abundant and happy living, free from the fears of war, 
              sickness, and poverty.

                               What is the Millennium?

                   Actually the word "millennium" is derived from the 
              Latin and simply means "a thousand years."  You will not 
              find the word "millennium in the Bible, but you will 
              read of the "thousand years."  The only scriptures in 
              all the Bible mentioning in specific terms this period 
              of time are in Revelation 20:1-9.  Here is the time 
              setting for the coming utopia or millennium.  John wrote 
              that he saw an angel who "laid hold on the dragon, that 
              old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound 
              him a thousand years...and set a seal upon him, that he 
              should deveive the nations no more, till  the thousand  
               years  should be fulfilled" (Rev. 20:2-3).

                   Did you notice that?  During the millennium, the 
              thousand years, the devil does not deceive the nations.  
              This age we are now in couldn't be the millennium, 
              because the devil is still deceiving the nations.  The 
              millennium must still be in the future, a time when the 
              devil will not be deceiving the whole world any longer.  
                
                   Now notice what else John says about the thousand 
              years.  "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the 
              first resurrection: on such the second death hath no 
              power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, 
              and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 
              20:6).  So the millennium is a time when the saints 
              reign with Christ.  The saints help create the 
              millennial utopia.  Who are the saints?  Those who are 
              qualifying now by obedience to the Law of God through 
              faith in Christ.  Did you ever notice before that those 
               in the first resurrection  will reign with Christ a 
              thousand years? (Rev. 20:4).  This means that the 
              millennium can't begin until after the first 
              resurrection, because it is those in the first 
              resurrection who do the ruling.

                           When Will the Millennium Occur?

                   Now when does the first resurrection occur?  I 
              Thes. 4:14-17 declares that the first resurrection 
              occurs at the second coming of Christ.  "...The Lord 
              himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the 
              voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and 
              the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are 
              alive and remain shall be caught up together with them 
              in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall 
              we ever be with the Lord."  The first resurrection 
              occurs "...at the last trump: for the trumpet shall 
              sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and 
              we shall be changed" (I Cor. 15:52).  

                   Since the saints do not rise until the second 
              coming of Christ, and since they rule with Christ during 
              the millennium, then the thousand years must occur after 
              the second coming of Christ, and not before.  This is 
              vitally important because there are some who teach that 
              Jesus does not come until the end of the thousand years.  
              But your Bible says Jesus comes at the beginning of the 
              thousand years.  Christ is returning to bring peace and 
              make a utopia possible!

                   Now notice what else occurs when the last trumpet 
              sounds.  In Revelation 11:15, when the last or seventh 
              trumpet blows, the dead are raised and " the kingdoms of 
               this world  are become the  kingdoms of our Lord , and of 
              his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever."  This 
              is when that promised time of peace and prosperity 
              begins.  Christ is beginning His reign and the saints 
              are already resurrected to rule with Christ.  But where 
              will the saints rule?

                   Speaking of the second coming of Christ, when He 
              will fight against His enemies at Jerusalem, Zechariah 
              said: "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against 
              those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle. 
              And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of 
              Olives...and the Lord by God shall come, and all the 
              saints with thee" (Zech. 14:3-5).  This scripture 
              reveals that Christ's feet will again stand upon the 
              Mount of Olives, and "all the saints" will come with 
              him.  

                         Where Will the Millennium Be Spent?

                   The last phrase of I Thessalonians 4:17 tells us 
              after all the saints meet the Lord in the air, they 
              shall "ever be with the Lord."  Since the saints shall 
              always be with Jesus Christ, then any scripture that 
              tells us where Christ will be, will also explain where 
              those resurrected saints shall be during the thousand 
              years.  Also any verse that says where the saints shall 
              rule during the thousand years, explains the place where 
              Christ must be ruling, too.  

                          Christ Brings His Reward With Him

                   Christ plainly taught that He will bring His reward 
              with Him at His second coming: "And, behold, I come 
              quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man 
              according as his work shall be" (Rev. 22:12).  But just 
              what will that reward be?  Will it be golden harps on 
              which the saints can play heavenly music for all 
              eternity?  Notice what the reward is which Christ will 
              give to all overcomers: "But hold fast what you have 
              till I come.  And he who overcomes, and keeps my works 
              until the end,  to him I will give power over the  
               nations . He shall rule them with a rod of iron...(Rev. 
              2:25-27).  In order to reign during the millennium there 
              must be someone for the saints to reign over.  So the 
              saints will rule over the nations..
              
                   Daniel in the second chapter of his book, in 
              explaining a dream that king Nebuchadnezzar had, 
              explained when Christ would set up his kingdom to rule 
              this entire world.  In the last days of the kings or 
              rulers of this present civilization, "shall the God of 
              heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: 
              and the kingdom shall not be left to other people [not 
              to human beings, but to the sons of God], but it shall 
              break in peices and consume all these kingdoms, and it 
              shall stand forever" (Daniel 2:44). "  Notice, that it 
              is "in the days of these kings," not a thousand years 
              later, that God sets up His kingdom under Christ, 
              pictured by the stone that smote the image (Dan 2:34, 
              35), which became a great mountain, and filled the whole 
              earth."  Notice it filled the whole earth.  It doesn't 
              say heaven.   
              
                   Daniel also prophesied in the seventh chapter: " 
              ...And, behold, one like the Son of man came with the 
              clouds of heaven.... And there was given him dominion, 
              and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, ntions, and 
              languages, should serve him: his dominion is an 
              everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his 
              kingdom that which shall not be destroyed" (Dan.  7:13-
              14).  Christ will not rule this earth by himself: "But 
              the saints of the most High shall take the kingdom, and 
              possess the kingdom for ever, even for ever and ever" 
              (verse 18).  This rulership will be worldwide.  Truly, 
              in that day, "the Lord shall be king over all the earth" 
              (Zech. 14:9).  
              
                        Christ to Sit on The Throne of David
              
                   In Rev. 3:21, Jesus said: "To him that overcometh 
              will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also 
              overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne."  
              So the resurrected saints will sit with Christ on His 
              throne while ruling the nations.  At present, Christ is 
              sitting on His Father's throne in heaven, but where will 
              the throne of Jesus be?  Christ will sit on David's 
              throne.  The angel Gabriel said, as recorded in Luke 
              1:30-33, that Jesus "shall be great, and shall be called 
              the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto 
              him the throne of this father David: and he shall reign 
              over the house of Jacab for ever; and of his kingdom 
              there shall be no end."  So Jesus' throne will be the 
              throne of David.  David's throne in on this earth  (Jer. 
              33:17).  "At that time they shall call Jerusalem the 
              throne of the Lord; and all the nations shall be 
              gathered unto it" (Jer. 3:17).  Christ will rule on this 
              earth.  

                                Saints Rule on Earth

                   The saints, who at that time will have been 
              redeemed from this earth, will finally exclaim: "And 
              have made us kings and priests to our God; and we shall 
              reign on the earth" (Rev. 5:10).  Notice that the saints 
              will not rule in heaven, but on the earth.  

                   One of Christ's parables reveals where the saints 
              shall rule.  The disciples mistakenly thought the 
              "kingdom of God should immediatley appear" (Luke 19:11).  
              Christ gave the disciples a parable to show that it 
              would be quite some time before He would return to this 
              earth to set up his kingdom: "A certain nobleman 
              [Christ] went into a far country [heaven] to receive for 
              himself a kingdom and to return.  So he called ten of 
              his servants, delivered them ten minas [pounds], and 
              said to them, Do business till I come" (Luke 19:12, 13).  
              Those who were industrious and who gained a good return 
              on their master's money were given rulership over "ten 
              cities" (v.17) and "five cities" (v.19).  This shows 
              that the glorified saints in the Kingdom of God will be 
              given rule or authority over the nations of the earth.  

                   Yes, the saints will reign with Christ on this 
              earth and rule the nations during the millennium.  When 
              Christ and his glorified saints sit on thrones governing 
              the nations of this earth, then there will be peace, 
              happiness and prosperity for all nations.  No man, nor 
              man-devised government such as the United Nations, will 
              ever be able to bring real peace to this earth.  When 
              the Kingdom of God is established on earth, then we shal 
              have peace, and not until then.  Yes, a wonderful utopia 
              is coming in the world tomorrow!  

                      The Christmas Message Reveals The Kingdom

                   Few have ever thought to think what the Christmas 
              message of Isaiah 9:6-7 really reveals.  These passages 
              are read in nearly every church service or children's 
              pageant at Christmas time.  Few grasp their real 
              meaning.  Listen to them again: "For unto us a Child is 
              born, unto us a Son is given: and  the government will be 
               upon His shoulder .  And His name will be called 
              Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, 
              Prince of Peace.  Of the increase of  His government and 
               peace there will be no end, upon the throne of David and 
               over His kingdom,  to order it and establish it with 
              judgment and justice from that time forward, even 
              forever."  Yes, Christ was born to be a king and rule 
              the coming government or Kingdom of God.  This coming 
              Kingdom of God will be set up on this earth to rule the 
              nations.  Christ will sit on David's throne and rule the 
              nations of the earth with his saints.  
              
                         How and When Jesus Returns to Earth
               
                   How did Jesus leave this earth over 1900 years ago?  
              He ascended from the Mount of Olives and was received by 
              the clouds of heaven. And he is going to return in like 
              manner. "This same Jesus, which is taken up from you 
              into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have 
              seen him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).  

                   In Revelation 19 we read that, at the second coming 
              of Christ, military contingents of all nations are 
              gathered to battle against Jerusalem.  This same time is 
              described in Zechariah 14:1-3.  It is in the Day of the 
              Lord, when all nations are warring against Jerusalem.  
              "Then shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those 
              nations...and his feet shall stand  in that day upon the 
               Mount of Olives " (Zech. 14:3,4).  Notice, Jesus is 
              coming in the clouds of heaven (Rev. 1:7) and shall 
              fight against the nations and his feet shall stand in 
              that day upon the Mount of Olives which is on this 
              earth.  He is returning to the Mount of Olives "in like 
              manner" as he left.  Notice also, it is in "that day" 
              that He returns to receive the throne of David and to 
              rule the nations with a rod of iron.

                             Christ Remains On The Earth

                   When Jesus returns to this earth, the saints will 
              meet Him in the air, and then accompany Him  to this 
               earth .  That is where the saints will be.  But some 
              contend that the saints go to heaven.  The Bible nowhere 
              teaches any such doctrine.  Be sure to study our chapter 
              on "The Secret Rapture Theory."  Christ and the saints 
              remain on the earth!

                   Let's continue reading what Zechariah wrote: "And 
              it shall be  in that day , that living waters [salvation] 
              sahll go out from Jerusalem...in summer and in winter 
              shall it be. And the Lord shall be king over  all the 
               earth ...all the land shall be turned as a plain...and 
              inhabitied...And  men shall dwell in it , and there shall 
              be no more utter destruction; but Jerusalem sahll be 
              safely inhabited" (Zech. 14:8-11).  Here is the promise 
              of the coming utopia.  
               
                      Christ And Saints Rule Over Mortal People

                   In the day that Christ returns, not seven years or 
              a thousand years later, but in that very day, when the 
              nations that battled against Jerusalem are subdued, the 
              land shall be inhabited and men shall live there.  The 
              kingdom of God will rule over the peoples and nations of 
              the earth.  Yet these mortal peoples and nations will 
              not be the kingdom or in the kingdom of God.  They will 
              merely be ruled over by it.  "Flesh and blood cannot 
              inherit the kingdom of God..." (I Cor. 15:50).  The 
              Gentile nations, after their entire armies have been 
              destroyed (Zech. 14:12-15), shall come to serve Jesus 
              Christ.  "And it shall come to pass, that every one that 
              is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem 
              shall even go up from year to year to worship the King, 
              the Lord of hosts, and to keep the  feast of tabernacles " 
              (Zech. 14:16).  The Feast of Tabernacles is one of the 
              seven annual feastival or holy days of God.  This shows 
              God's holy days will be kept even in the millennium.  
              
                   The people that shall be left are going to worship 
              the Lord year by year in Jerusalem, which is on this 
              earth, not in heaven.  The Lord shall be King over all 
              the earth (Zech. 14:9).  The next verse shows Him 
              punishing nations for disobedience.  The saints are also 
              going to judge and correct the nations as they sit with 
              Jesus on His throne.  None of these events can occur 
              before the thousand years, and none can occur in heaven 
              because there are no disobedient nations in heaven.  
              Neither will disobedient nations be in the New Earth 
              after the millennium.  Therefore these events must 
              happen during the millennium and on this earth.  These 
              are the plain statements of Scripture.
              
                          What Will The Millennium Be Like?  

                   A utopian earth.  The wonderful world tomorrow, the 
              utopian age, will at last dawn upon this earth.  A 
              thousand years of peace and happiness will begin.  
              Isaiah tells us: "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 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. 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 11:6-9).  This is a real 
              utopia.  Wild animals will be tamed so that even a 
              little child could lead them.  Carnivorous animals will 
              no longer kill, but eat straw like an ox.  Poisonous 
              snakes will not harm anyone.  Only the Lord could bring 
              about changes like these in the animal world.  

                   Isaiah 11 tells us of the millennium.  The Gentiles
              are going to seek God (verse 10) and Israel and Judah 
              are going to be gathered the SECOND time from the 
              heathen nations (verse 11).  This is the time spoken of 
              by Paul.  "Blindness in part is happened to Israel, 
              until the fulness of the Gentiles be come in.  And so 
              all Israel shall be saved: as it is written, There shall 
              come out of Sion the Deliverer, and shall turn away 
              ungodliness from Jacob: for this is my covenant unto 
              them, when I shall take away their sins" (Romans 11:25-
              27).  Here is Good News!  Here is part of the Gospel 
              message.  Blindness is happened to Israel, until the 
              full number of Gentiles who are to be converted in this 
              age comes into the Kingdom.  Then Israel shall be 
              forgiven and the vast majority of Gentiles shall seek 
              God.

                   Isaiah chapter 35 tells us that during the 
              millennium that "the desert shall rejoice and blossom as 
              the rose" (verse 1).  "For in the wilderness shall waters 
              break out, and streams in the desert" (verse 6).  The 
              prophet Amos tells us that: "the plowman shall overtake 
              the reaper...and they shall build the waste cities, and 
              inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and drink 
              the wine thereof; they shall also make gardens, and eat 
              the fruit of them" (Amos (9:13-14).  What a wonderful 
              world!  The deserts will blossom with all kinds of 
              plants.  The harvests will be so great that they will 
              still be harvesting one crop when it is time to plant 
              another.  Gardens and vineyards will yield much fruit 
              and wine.  The waste cities of the world from war, will 
              be rebuilt anew.  The nations of the earth will at last 
              receive a "pure language" (Zephaniah 3:9) and will not 
              be cursed with the confusion of languages existing 
              today.  Isaiah chapter 35 also tells us, "Then the eyes 
              of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf 
              shall be unstopped.  Then the lame shall leap like a 
              deer, and the tongue of the dumb sing" (verses 5-6).
              What blessings the millennium will bring. 
              
                   People will not have to live in crowded, dirty, 
              inhospitable, cities.  Their will not be poverty and 
              starvation.  And their shall be no more war!  "And he 
              [Christ] shall judge among many people, and rebuke 
              strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their 
              swords into plowshares, and their spears into 
              pruninghooks; nation shall not lift up a sword against 
              nation, neither shall they learn war any more.  But they 
              shall sit every man under his vine and under his fig 
              tree; and none shall make them afraid..." (Micah 4:3-4).  
              This is a real utopia.  What a wonderful world!

                             Millennium Not the Kingdom

                   The Bible teaches that the millennium is the reign 
              of the Kingdom of God on this earth.  The millennium is 
              not the Kingdom, it is merely the first thousand years' 
              reign of that Kingdom on earth.  When Satan and his 
              demons are restrained from their work of deception, the 
              earth shall at last have its millennial "sabbath" of 
              rest.  The resurrected saints will judge the world with 
              Christ and all nations shall have peace at last, because 
              they will for the first time be following God's laws and 
              ways which "shall go forth out of Zion."  The saints 
              will assist Christ in govening all nations, in bringing 
              peace, happiness, prosperity and joy supreme to all 
              manking.  Yes, a utopia is coming, the wonderful world 
              of tomorrow is just around the corner.  
 
