The Millennial Reign of Jesus the Messiah
1 — Christ Will Establish His Throne in Jerusalem
Christ will establish His throne in Jerusalem during His millennial reign. He will rule the earth from there. On that day, He will judge between the nations and settle disputes for many peoples. Everyone will put down their swords, and nations will train for war no more. The knowledge of the Lord will fill the earth, and all nations and peoples of every language will worship Jesus. His dominion will be an everlasting dominion that will not pass away, and His kingdom will be one that will never be destroyed.
Daniel 7:13–14
Jeremiah 3:17
Isaiah 2:4
2 — Upon Christ’s Return All Christians Will Be Judged by Him According to Their Works
Upon Jesus’ return, the dead in Christ will rise, and all believers will have to give an account to Jesus for the way they have lived. Some Christians will be rewarded for their good works, and some will be rebuked and experience loss because of their unfaithfulness (Revelation 22:12).
Some believers will be given crowns of authority depending on their sacrifice and faithfulness to God. Unlike spiritual salvation, crowns must be earned through effort, obedience, and sacrifice, but can also be lost if we are negligent and disobedient (Revelation 3:11).
These crowns will be given to believers who run the race of the faith until the end, overcome temptation, lay down their lives for Christ, and are victorious in tests and trials.
The Imperishable Crown – 1 Corinthians 9:24–25
The Crown of Rejoicing – 1 Thessalonians 2:19
The Crown of Righteousness – 2 Timothy 4:8
The Crown of Glory – 1 Peter 5:4
The Crown of Life – Revelation 2:10
Believers will be given Christ’s delegated authority to rule and disciple all nations into the knowledge of God.
Revelation 3:25–27
Daniel 7:27
— The Highest Reward: Ministers and Pillars in the Heavenly Temple of God
Some believers who are found without reproach will receive the highest reward. They will be given a glorious body and will minister to God in His heavenly temple in the New Jerusalem. These believers learned to love their neighbor with God’s love (Philadelphia) and display the fruit of the Spirit. They conquered the desires of the flesh, crucified the old man, and fully reflected Christ’s image.
These believers will minister to God in the heavenly Jerusalem. They are citizens of heaven because they set their eyes on the eternal and imperishable. They picked up their cross daily and followed Christ everywhere He sent them. They will not experience the second death because they are saved in spirit, soul, and body.
Revelation 3:12
Revelation 20:6
Revelation 2:10–11
— Carnal Believers Will Suffer Loss
1 Corinthians 3:11–15 teaches that some believers will suffer loss. They will be resurrected without a glorious body and will have to experience the second death. They resisted the work of the Spirit and the processes of sanctification, so they never matured spiritually. They will be cast away from Christ’s presence during His millennial reign.
These are the believers who did not prepare for the coming kingdom. They never changed their stained garments for clean ones (good works). They did not pick up their cross, did not crucify their carnal desires, and did not use the gifts and talents given to them. They were disobedient, idolatrous, and unprepared.
Because they do not resemble Christ, He will not recognize them, and they will be sent into outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.
Matthew 22:11–14
Matthew 24:48–51
Matthew 25:10–13
Matthew 25:29–30
Matthew 7:21–23
3 — The Faithful Saints Will Be Given the Nations as Their Inheritance
The kingdoms of the earth will be taken away from Satan and his angels and will be given to Christ and His true followers and faithful witnesses. The victorious saints will be chosen to rule over the nations for one thousand years.
Revelation 5:10
Revelation 2:26
Revelation 3:25–27
Daniel 7:27
Revelation 20:4
4 — The Nations Will Be Judged According to How They Treated Israel
When the Lord returns, He will gather all nations in the Valley of Jehoshaphat and judge them for how they treated His inheritance, Israel (Joel 3:1–3).
Nations that helped the Jewish people will be sheep nations and will enter the millennial reign. Nations that ignored or mistreated Israel will be goat nations and will be punished.
Matthew 25:31–40
5 — The Nations During the Millennial Reign
Some nations will still be in rebellion and will need to be ruled with an iron rod. Because the Church era will be over, these nations will worship God in the flesh, as in the Old Testament. That is why a temple will stand in Jerusalem (Ezekiel 40–44). Nations will need atonement and must keep certain commandments, including the Feast of Tabernacles.
Isaiah 2:2
Revelation 19:11–15
Zechariah 14:16–19
6 — Israel Will Be Head of the Nations
All Israel will be saved as a nation. A temple will stand in Jerusalem, and sacrifices will be made (Ezekiel 40–44). Jesus, the Prince Messiah, will minister from that temple. Israel will be God’s earthly priests and will never again depart from His statutes. After the final exile during the Great Tribulation, the tribes of Israel will be restored and united under one King, Jesus the Messiah.
Romans 11:25–27
Jeremiah 23:6
Ezekiel 37:20–22
Amos 9:15
Isaiah 11:10–12
7 — Satan and His Angels Will Be Chained for One Thousand Years
Satan and his angels will lose their authority to deceive the nations and will be chained for a thousand years. The kingdom will be taken from them and given to Christ and His saints. During this period, spiritual warfare against principalities will be over.
Daniel 7:11
Daniel 7:17–18
Daniel 7:21–22
Daniel 7:26–27
Revelation 20:1–3
8 — There Will Be Peace on Earth
The whole earth—including the animal kingdom—will experience peace. Nations will seek Christ and His wisdom. Human longevity will increase.
Isaiah 11:6–10
Isaiah 65:20
Conclusion
Hallelujah! Let Your kingdom come soon, Jesus! The Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Come to establish Your kingdom on earth as it is in heaven.
Let us prepare ourselves for His arrival. Let us be faithful servants, using our talents instead of hiding them. Let us be wise virgins who gather oil by denying ourselves and taking up our cross daily. Let Him cleanse and purify us. Let us wash our garments so that we may be found worthy to take part in His wedding supper and to rule with Him.