Revelation 20,21
The Millennium
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In other words, what
does this information bring to
Revelation’s story?
There is a lot of
diversity among Christians on this
topic:
a. Some
Christians believe the 1,000 years
represent an indeterminate period of
time. In other words, they believe
the 1,000 years is just a figure of
speech, the actual duration of this
time-period could be a mere 448 days
or 2,678 years. These people say it
doesn’t matter how much time is
involved. Whatever it is, is really
immaterial.
b. Other
Christians insist the 1,000 years
must be interpreted as 360,000 years
because they claim, “A day
always equals a year in Bible
prophecy,” thus, one
thousand years of 360 days per year
equals 360,000 or 365,000
years.”
OK, there are
differences of opinion on the
duration of time, so what is the
point of knowing about this time
period of time before it comes to
pass?
I am convinced that
both of the views just mentioned have
no merit for two reasons.
First, Rule 4 says
outside the Jubilee calendar, God
does not translate time according to
a day for a year. So, after 1994, a
year is simply a year.
Taking the Bible as it
reads, this would make the 1,000
years literally 1,000 years.
Second, there are 18
prophetic time-periods in the books
of Daniel and Revelation and I find
that each one of them precisely
describes a span of time that
conforms to the specification given.
For example, the 42
months in Revelation 13:5 will be 42
moons in length.
The 1,335 days in
Daniel 12 will be literally 1,335
literal days.
And, of course, the 70
weeks in Daniel 9 were 490 years in
length.
Therefore, the 1,000
years in Revelation 20 must be 1,000
literal years and here’s a good
reason why we need to know about
these 1,000 years before they begin.
When we add up the
genealogical record from Adam to
Moses….
When we add up in the
Jubilee calendar, -- from the Exodus
from Egypt in 1437 B.C. to the
termination of the Jubilee calendar
in 1994….
When we add in the
years that have unfolded since
1994….
And when we add in the
1,000 years of Revelation 20 we
discover that Bible history and
Bible prophecycombine together to
produce a story showing that sin will
last 7,000 years.
I don’t think
this total is a mere coincidence.
Before the world was
created, God foreknew the rise of
sin and He determined its duration.
I believe that God has
given us a template showing the
duration of Earth. This template is “the
weekly cycle.”
If you recall our
study on the Jubilee calendar back in
March, April, May and June, 2004, you
know that the weekly cycle is a basic
building structure which God has used
many times.
In fact, God’s
great clocks are based on units of
seven.
1. The
weekly cycle – 7 days
2. The
religious year – 7 months
3. The
Week of years – 7 years
4. The
Week of Weeks of years – 7 weeks
of 7 years – A cycle of 49 years
equals one Jubilee cycle
5. Seven Great
Days of 10 Jubilee cycles (490
years each day)
6. Seven Grand
Days of Ten Centuries each (1,000
years)
S M T W T F S
The largest clock of
seven days is based on millenniums.
2 Peter 3:8
But do not forget this one thing,
dear friends: With the Lord a day is
like a thousand years, and a thousand
years are like a day.”
The point here is that
the 1,000 years in Revelation 20
helps us understand a very big
picture. A Sabbath rest of 1,000
years is coming to earth. The land
itself will rest from the works of
sin.
S M T W T F S
Notice the parallel:
Leviticus 25:4
But in the seventh year the land is
to have a Sabbath of rest, a Sabbath
to the Lord. Do not sow your
fields or prune your vineyards.
Leviticus 25:5
Do not reap what grows of itself or
harvest the grapes of your untended
vines. The land is to have a year
of rest.”
At the end of the
6,000 years of sin, the devil will be
returned to the Abyss.
The saints will be
taken to Heaven.’
The wicked will be put
to sleep – awaiting the second
resurrection.
So, what happens
during the 1,000 years in Heaven?
Revelation 20:4 I
saw thrones on which were
seated those who had been given authority
to judge. And I saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded
because of their testimony for
Jesus and because of the Word of God.
[Now, notice which people John
saw] They had not worshiped
the beast or his image and had not
received his mark on their foreheads
or their hands. They came to life
and reigned with Christ a
thousand years. [This is the first
resurrection.]
Revelation 20:5
(The rest of the dead [those not
resurrected at the Second Coming] did
not come to life until the thousand
years were ended.) This is the first
resurrection.
Revelation 20:6
Blessed and holy are those who have
part in the first resurrection. The
second death has no power over
them, but they will be priests of God
and of Christ and will reign with
him for a thousand years.”
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