The Millennium: Discussion between Dave & Miles [WLC Radio, Ep. #69] | Part C

The King James Version (KJV) is mostly used in these lessons. Click here to access the KJV online.

There will be some sinners, however, who are still alive even after all of this. Turn to Isaiah 24:6. This is a fascinating little reference to those who are still alive.

Miles:

Therefore the curse has devoured the earth,
And those who dwell in it are desolate.
Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are burned,
And few men are left.

Dave: During the millennium, these “few men left” re-populate the earth.

Miles: So, what’s the purpose of allowing sinners to live on the earth during the millennium?

Dave: To give them a chance to repent, of course. Now, I’m not talking about those who’ve had every chance to learn the truth and turned their backs on it. I’m talking about those who’ve never had the chance to learn the truth. They’ve been blinded by Satan, they’ve been prevented from learning truth. Now, during the millennium when Satan is bound, is their chance to accept the gift of salvation.

Miles: Where do you get that from?

Dave: Right there in Zechariah 14. Read verses … uh, 16 to 19.

Miles: All right. It says:

And it shall come to pass that everyone who is left of all the nations which came against Jerusalem shall go up from year to year to worship the King, Yahuwah of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. And it shall be that whichever of the families of the earth do not come up to Jerusalem to worship the King, Yahuwah of hosts, on them there will be no rain. If the family of Egypt will not come up and enter in, they shall have no rain; they shall receive the plague with which Yahuwah strikes the nations who do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. This shall be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not come up to keep the Feast of Tabernacles.

Dave: This is a rare glimpse into the millennium. Notice that the righteous go to Jerusalem—now the New Jerusalem resting where the old Jerusalem used to stand—to keep the Feast of Tabernacles. There are consequences for those who don’t go, but they are gentle inducements, mingled with mercy: it’s a lack of rain. It’s a gentle persuasion to turn to Yahuwah and worship Him.

Turn back, now, to Isaiah 65 and read verses 1 and 2.

Miles:

I was sought by those who did not ask for Me;
I was found by those who did not seek Me.
I said, “Here I am, here I am,”
To a nation that was not called by My name.
I have stretched out My hands all day long to a rebellious people,
Who walk in a way that is not good,
According to their own thoughts.

Dave: The millennium gives one last opportunity for people who have been ignorant of the truth to accept salvation. It is a time when those who’ve never had a chance to learn the truth, those who’ve been prevented for making a full surrender, will have a chance to witness Yah’s goodness and make that choice.

Second Peter 3:9 says that Yahuwah is longsuffering, “not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance.”

Drop down now and read verses 13 and 14 of Isaiah 65.

Miles:

Therefore thus says Yahuwah Elohim:

“Behold, My servants shall eat,
But you shall be hungry;
Behold, My servants shall drink,
But you shall be thirsty;
Behold, My servants shall rejoice,
But you shall be ashamed;
Behold, My servants shall sing for joy of heart,
But you shall cry for sorrow of heart,
And wail for grief of spirit.”

Dave: Notice the comparison being made between the redeemed, here referred to as Yah’s servants, and sinners. What is so fascinating about this passage is that it is said in context of the millennium and the earth made new! Read verses 17 to 20 next.

Miles:

For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth;
And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind.

But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create;
For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing,
And her people a joy.

I will rejoice in Jerusalem,
And joy in My people;
The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her,
Nor the voice of crying.

No more shall an infant from there live but a few days,
Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days;
For the child shall die one hundred years old,
But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed.

Dave: At no time has this prophecy ever been fulfilled. It is yet future. The blessed and happy state of the redeemed, in contrast to sinners, will be a wonderful revelation as the joy to be had in the service of Yah. Only at the end of the millennium will Satan and all his followers be destroyed.

Would you read Revelation 20, verses 7 to 10?

Miles:

Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from Yah out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone where the beast and the false prophet are. And they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

Dave: With the destruction of Satan and all who have chosen to follow him destroyed, all that remains is peace and joy forever more.

Let’s take a quick look at the reward offered the righteous. Revelation 15, verses 2 and 3.

Miles:

And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of Yah. And they sing the song of Moses the servant of Yah, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvelous are thy works, Almighty Yahuwah Eloah; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.

Dave: This is the reward that awaits the righteous! They’ll be preserved through the seven last plagues. If they’ve died, they’ll be raised back to life at Yahushua’s return to spend eternity on the earth made new rejoicing in the very presence of the Father and the Son.

Miles: Before we close, I want to spend a little bit of time talking about what the righteous are going to be doing during the millennium. You touched on it briefly earlier, but I’d like to hear some more because, frankly, I just don’t see true bliss from lounging around and strumming a harp all day.

Dave chuckles: You’re right. We’ll be doing more than that. There will, of course, be rest for the weary. Revelation promises that Yah Himself shall wipe away all tears.
But the righteous will also have a work to do, and that’s the judgment of the wicked.

Would you read 1 Corinthians 6:2 & 3?

Miles: “Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? . . . Know ye not that we shall judge angels?”

Huh! Soooo … we’re going to be judging Satan and the fallen angels, too?

Dave: That’s what it says. And it makes sense. If you’re saved and someone you love is not, wouldn’t you want to know why?

Miles: Well, sure! Of course!

Dave: The judgment let’s everyone see all the ways Yahuwah tried to save every soul that is lost. It lets the righteous know that every effort was made to save them all.

Miles: That would be quite healing. I mean, if you could see that the person you loved was lost due to his or her choice, it would give you closure, wouldn’t it?

Dave: Yes, and that’s why Yahuwah mercifully gives the righteous a part in the judgment. Then, a just and fair sentence is passed. Not only on the lost, but on Satan and his evil angels, too.

Probably the passage that explains this truth the clearest is Daniel 7. Would you please read verses 22, 26, and 27?

Miles:

“The Ancient of days came, and judgment was given to the saints of the most High; and the time came that the saints possessed the kingdom . . . the judgment shall sit, and they shall take away his [Satan’s] dominion, to consume and to destroy it unto the end. And the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people of the saints of the most High, whose kingdom is an everlasting kingdom . . . .”

Dave: At the start of the millennium, Satan is bound. He can’t tempt people any more. The earth is made new. Yahuwah then moves the New Jerusalem to earth. Those who have been deceived have one final chance to see Satan for who and what he is, and Yahuwah for the loving Father He is.

Miles: All right, I’ve been taking some notes while you were talking. Just to recap: we’ve got a clear order of events surrounding the millennium.

1. The earth is totally destroyed by the earthquake and hailstorm of the last plague.
2. Yahushua returns for the righteous.
3. We’ve got the resurrection of the Righteous.
4. The righteous are given immortality.
5. The living righteous are given new, immortal bodies
6. All the righteous are caught up into the clouds with Yahushua.
7. Then, they escort Yahushua down to earth. The earth is made new.
8. Yahuwah moves the New Jerusalem to earth, to be the capitol city of the new earth.

Dave: Correct. And, again, during this time Satan is bound. His power to deceive is broken.

Earlier you read from Revelation 20 but with everything we’ve learned, let’s read it again. Verses 1 to 7.

Miles:

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.

And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled and after that he must be loosed a little season.

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 Yahushua, and for the word of Yah, 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 Yahushua a thousand years.

But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 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 Yah and of Yahushua and shall reign with Him a thousand years.

And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison.

Dave: The phrase “bottomless pit” comes from abussos which is the same word as “abyss” or “void”. Scripture describes the pre-Creation world as “without form and void,” too. [Genesis 1:2]

Miles: I love it! What poetic justice! In the beginning of his rebellion, Lucifer said he would be like the Most High.
Now, when he’s bound in the bottomless pit, it’s like Yah is saying: “Okay, Satan. Here’s your chance! You wanted to be like Me? Go for it. Make a beautiful world and populate it with happy beings.

Dave: The millennium is Satan’s opportunity to make good on his boast. And of course, he can’t. Everyone will see that the results of rebellion against Yah are death and destruction.

Only those who love and honor Yah will, in turn, receive honor at the return of Yahushua. Then, many of those who’d never had the chance to learn about Yah will choose to accept salvation. Yahuwah wants to save just as many as He can and the millennium lets Him do this.

Miles: What a loving G-d we serve who saves to the uttermost all who come to Him! And what a reward is promised all who accept salvation.

Listen, folks: The choices you’re making today, the choices I am making, are determining where we’ll spend not only the millennium, but eternity as well. So let’s make sure we’re making that daily choice to surrender and choose salvation.

WLC Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKswMD01BII