1,000 Years of Peace
Find out who stays behind and what happens on earth, as well as in heaven, during the millennium.
The Second Coming 3 of 3
What did Jesus promise before ascending to heaven?
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. 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 ye may be also.
And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men stood by them in white apparel; which also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? 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.
Jesus said He was going to heaven to prepare a place for His followers—promising that He would come again to take them to be with Him there. This promise was reaffirmed by the two angels who appeared to His disciples at His ascension. They said that Jesus would return in the same bodily and personal manner as they had seen Him go into heaven.
What will happen during Jesus’ second coming?
For 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.
I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.
And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Because Jesus conquered death, all who have accepted His great sacrifice on their behalf and have died in Him will be resurrected at His coming. Together with the righteous who remain alive, they will be taken up to live with Him in heaven, never to be separated from Him again.
The earth, on the other hand, will be devastated by the most catastrophic earthquake and hailstorm since creation. Revelation says that the hailstones will each weigh about a talent—about 75 pounds—and that the earthquake will cause the islands and mountains to move out of their places.
How will the unrighteous experience His coming?
For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming: even him, whose coming is after the working of Satan with all power and signs and lying wonders, and with all deceivableness of unrighteousness in them that perish; because they received not the love of the truth, that they might be saved.
Because sin cannot exist in the presence of a holy God, the second coming will be a consuming fire to all who have rejected Jesus’ sacrifice on their behalf. Their rejection means they have never confessed their sins to Him, making Him unable to forgive and cover them by His perfect righteousness. As a consequence, they will have to pay for their sins themselves.
How does Jesus cleanse us from sin?
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?
When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
To reject Jesus is to reject the convictions of the Holy Spirit upon the mind, through whom He works to purge us from sin. This is why the two travelers to Emmaus felt their hearts “burning” with conviction after Jesus explained the Scriptures to them (Luke 24:32). It also explains why the Holy Spirit appeared in the form of fire when He came upon the apostles at Pentecost (Acts 2:3-4). Because the lost have rejected the promptings of the Holy Spirit, the second coming will bring destruction upon them, for Christ’s glorious holiness is a consuming fire to all whose sins have not already been purged by the indwelling presence of His Holy Spirit.
What happens to Satan at this time?
And 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.
The chain described here is a symbolic chain of circumstances, representing Satan’s confinement to the desolate earth, where he will have no one to tempt or deceive—for the saved will be in heaven, and the lost will be dead. For the first time since his rebellion in heaven, he will be completely deprived of his power—a condition that will last for a thousand years. It is noteworthy that the Greek word translated “bottomless pit” is abussos (abyss)—the same word used in Genesis 1:2 for “deep”. In other words, during this period, the earth will return to a chaotic, uninhabited state similar to its condition before Creation.
Who else is bound with him?
For if God spared not the angels that sinned, but cast them down to hell, and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved unto judgment.
The fallen angels under Satan’s command—whom he first persuaded, by deception, to join his rebellion against God in heaven—will also be confined to the desolate earth with him. They will have ample time to reflect on their actions as they behold the devastation surrounding them—a constant reminder of the woeful consequences their rebellion has brought.
What happens to the lost?
And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from one end of the earth even unto the other end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.
The brightness of Jesus’ coming—His glorious and holy presence—will destroy the lost, who will remain dead for the entire millennium. Contrary to the popular secret rapture theory, which teaches that the lost will have a second chance to repent, they will have no such opportunity—for they will be dead, and the door of mercy will have closed forever.
What happens to planet Earth?
And the seventh angel poured out his vial into the air; and there came a great voice out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, It is done. And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, and so great. And the great city was divided into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell: and great Babylon came in remembrance before God, to give unto her the cup of the wine of the fierceness of his wrath. And every island fled away, and the mountains were not found. And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, every stone about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.
Therefore I will shake the heavens, and the earth shall remove out of her place, in the wrath of the LORD of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.
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. For thus hath the LORD said, The whole land shall be desolate; yet will I not make a full end.
The destruction at Jesus’ second coming will return the earth to its original state—a dark, barren place, unsuitable for life (Genesis 1:2). The fact that the earth will actually be moved from its current position likely explains why the heavens will have no light.
Will Christ establish an earthly millennium?
Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence.
And when he was demanded of the Pharisees, when the kingdom of God should come, he answered them and said, The kingdom of God cometh not with observation: neither shall they say, Lo here! or, lo there! for, behold, the kingdom of God is within you.
For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.
Scripture’s portrayal of the earth’s desolation shows that the belief in an earthly millennium following Christ’s return (known as dispensational premillennialism) is unbiblical. Another view, postmillennialism, holds that Christ will return after a millennial period in which Christianity prevails—particularly at the governmental level—throughout the world. This perspective is often embraced by Christian nationalists, but it too is unbiblical, for Christ declared that His kingdom is not of this world. In fact, when describing the end of the world, Jesus never spoke of a period of universal peace; after warning of nations in distress and people’s hearts failing from fear, He went directly to His coming in glory (Luke 21:25-27). A heavenly millennium, therefore, is the only view that is consistent with all of Scripture.
What do the saved do in heaven?
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
And after these things I heard a great voice of much people in heaven, saying, Alleluia; Salvation, and glory, and honour, and power, unto the Lord our God: for true and righteous are his judgments.
The saved from all ages will participate in the next phase of judgment, during which all their questions about God’s dealings with sin and sinners will be answered. They will not determine who is saved or lost, for God will have already decided that during the first phase; rather, they will review the cases of all who are lost—including Satan and his angels.
Perhaps they will wonder why some people they expected to be there are missing, while others they did not expect are present. Maybe certain perplexing events or trying circumstances in their own lives caused them to question why God allowed these things to happen. To all of these perplexities—and more—God will provide perfectly satisfying answers, confirming the fairness of His judgment and motivating the redeemed to praise Him all the more for His infinite wisdom, love, and mercy.
What happens at the end of the millennium?
And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.
And his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east, and the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst thereof toward the east and toward the west, and there shall be a very great valley; and half of the mountain shall remove toward the north, and half of it toward the south. … and the LORD my God shall come, and all the saints with thee. … And the LORD shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one LORD, and his name one.
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
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.
Once the second phase of the judgment concludes at the end of the 1,000 years, Jesus will return to earth for the third time, bringing with Him all the redeemed and the glorious New Jerusalem. He will then level the Mount of Olives, creating a vast plain on which the city will rest. At that time, the second resurrection will occur—this time of the lost from all ages. Just as the resurrection of the saved marked the beginning of the millennium, so the resurrection of the lost will mark its close. For the first time in history, all who have ever lived since the creation of Adam and Eve will be gathered together—a vast, numberless multitude—for the third and final phase of the judgment.
What happens to Satan?
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.
After the second resurrection, Satan will once again be free to deceive and manipulate the newly resurrected lost.
What happens next?
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. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city.
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known. Therefore whatsoever ye have spoken in darkness shall be heard in the light; and that which ye have spoken in the ear in closets shall be proclaimed upon the housetops.
As the lost behold the glories of the New Jerusalem and realize that they are shut out of it, Satan succeeds in deceiving them one final time, persuading them to surround the city in a desperate attempt to capture it. After all, among the lost are great military leaders from every age—commanders who have never known defeat. But suddenly God’s throne appears, halting their attack and inaugurating the final phase of the judgment. The wicked will then see the record of their lives unfold before them and recognize that God did everything possible to draw them to Himself—to save them from their sins and prepare them to dwell in His holy presence. Yet they resisted Him, and without the sacrifice of Jesus covering their sins, they are left to bear the penalty for their own sins.
How will they respond?
For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.
That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
All the lost—including Satan, the original instigator of the long rebellion against God’s government—and his angels bow before God in acknowledgment that He has been perfectly just yet merciful, fair yet loving. All present—the saved and the lost, the fallen and unfallen angels, and even Satan himself—realize there was no justification or excuse for sin, and their confession settles the great controversy between good and evil in the minds of all, bringing it to a close. The universe can now be safely cleansed of the virus of sin, including all who, regrettably, chose to persistently cling to it.
What happens to them?
And 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. And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
Say unto them, As I live, saith the Lord GOD, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye from your evil ways; for why will ye die, O house of Israel?
Fire then falls upon the wicked, Satan, and his angels, forming a lake of fire all around the New Jerusalem. This is the second death from which there is no resurrection, marking the end of the controversy between God and Satan, good and evil. For the God of love (1 John 4:8), this will be a difficult thing to watch because every single person who is destroyed is one whom He loved and for whom Jesus died. He did everything He could to save them, but they persistently rejected Him, and so He has no other option left. Once there is nothing but ashes left (Malachi 4:3), the fire will go out, and the universe will finally be free from sin.
What happens once the fire goes out?
For, behold, I create new heavens and a new earth: and the former shall not be remembered, nor come into mind.
Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.
And I saw a new heaven and a new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea. … And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away.
God then creates a new heaven (atmosphere) and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. Everything that Adam and Eve lost will be restored, and the redeemed of all ages will live in perfect love, joy, and peace throughout eternity with God!