Our interpretation of Revelation, Chapter 20 in combination with various Old Testament passages is the key to understanding the Millennium. As stated before, the 1000 years mentioned in Revelation, Chapter 20 should be interpreted as “an indefinite, long period of time,” in which Jesus Christ is ruling in Jerusalem with a rod of iron over Israel and the nations of Planet Earth. During this period of time, Satan will be imprisoned (Rev. 20:1-3). However, the Millennium will have many other unusual characteristics. Most particularly, there will still be some death, but people will generally live for long periods of time. At Isaiah 65:17-20, we read:
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness. I will also rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in My people; And there will no longer be heard in her The voice of weeping and the sound of crying. No longer will there be in it an infant who lives only a few days, Or an old person who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of a hundred, And the one who does not reach the age of a hundred Will be thought accursed.
At Isaiah 65:22, we read, “For as the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people.” Isaiah 65:20 and 22 would be a nonsensical way to describe an endless life (meaning, death will continue during the Millennium), and these verses are consistent with 1 Corinthians 15:25-27, which states:
For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. The last enemy that will be abolished is death. For HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS IN SUBJECTION UNDER HIS FEET. But when He says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is clear that this excludes the Father who put all things in subjection to Him.
(Emphasis added.)
In my opinion, “death” includes both spiritual death and physical death. Therefore, spiritual death and physical death will not be completely abolished until the end of the Millennium. At Revelation 21:4, we read, “He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain, the first things have passed away.” (Emphasis added.) Despite the existence of some death during the Millennium, there will be an unprecedented joy among the people. At Isaiah 25:10, we read:
And the redeemed of the Lord will return And come to Zion with joyful shouting, And everlasting joy will be on their heads. They will obtain gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.
At Isaiah 65:17-18, we read:
For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem for rejoicing And her people for gladness.
At Psalm 98:3-4, we read:
All the ends of the earth have seen the Salvation of our God. Shout joyfully to the Lord, all the earth; be cheerful and sing for joy and sing praises.
Finally, we want to note that the Millennium is a fulfillment of many prophecies and promises to Israel. First, the Lord promised Abram that his decedents would be given possession of all the land, “from the river of Egypt as far as the great river, the river Euphrates” (Gen. 15:18). To this day, this promise has never been fulfilled.
Second, God promises that He would install His anointed as King in Jerusalem (Psalm 2). At Psalm 2:7, the Lord referred to the King as “My son.” Further, the Lord’s anointed will rule over the nations of the earth, and any disobedience from the nations would cause the nations to be recipients of the Son’s wrath (Ps. 2:8-12). Jerusalem will be the political capital of the world.
Third, Israel will be the spiritual capital of the world. As Isaiah 2:3, we read:
And many peoples will come and say, “Come, let’s go up to the mountain of the Lord, To the house of the God of Jacob; So that He may teach us about His ways, And that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go out from Zion, And the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
(Emphasis added.). During the Millennium, people will still be learning how to walk in ways that are pleasing to God.
Fourth, at Isaiah 60:5-7, we learn that Zion and Israel will be the world’s premier economic power. The wealth of the nations will come to Israel (Isa. 60:5). At Isaiah 60:12, we read, “For the nations and the kingdom, which will not serve you will perish, And the nations will be utterly ruined.” Israel will “suck the milk of nations” (Isa. 60:16) and “eat the wealth of nations and… boast in their riches” (Isa. 61:6).
Fifth, Jews will be gathered from around the world and even from Heaven to populate the new and expanded land of Israel. At Jeremiah 30:3, we read:
“For behold, days are coming,” declares the Lord, “when I will restore the fortunes of My people Israel and Judah.” The Lord says, “I will also bring them back to the land that I gave to their forefathers, and they shall take possession of it.”
In fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecy, during the Millennium, Israel will be the world’s superpower. From Jerusalem, Jesus, the Son of God, will rule over Israel and the world with a rod of iron. Israel will be the supreme spiritual, political, and economic power.
In summation, the Bible describes the Millennium as being a unique period of time wherein physical death still occurs, but rarely. People will live for long periods of time. It will be a time of great joy, and finally, the Millennium will be a time when many Old Testament prophecies about Israel will be fulfilled.
