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The Millennium 2000
or 2001?
All around the world vast and lavish preparations were being made for the start of the new century, and there is even greater interest than usual because, this time, it was also the start of a new millennium — a new era of a thousand years. The opportunity was thus being taken for a variety of events — from private parties to large scale building projects — all of them celebrating a new start. But after all the
excitement had died down, and the balloons have burst,
what will the new millennium be like? For a thousand
years is not a stage managed event, limited to a few
carefully controlled hours or days, but a long, long
period of time covering the lifetimes of many generations.
Did the year 2000 see the start of a brave new world?
Will conditions on the earth suddenly (or even gradually)
improve for all who are oppressed, exploited or diseased?
We know the answer to these questions. All the grand
schemes and great expectations will achieve very little.
It needs more than a page turned over on a calendar to
put the world right, even if the date on that page is the
last day of the old millennium. The past hundred years
have seen incredible technological changes. But alongside
all the machines which man's ingenuity has produced to
help him undertake necessary tasks, there stand equally
ingenious machines with an almost infinite capacity for
destruction. Even those — like vehicles of transport
— invented to assist man's well being and to make
his life easier, have been responsible for the deaths of
thousands, even millions of people. None of the
technological advances has managed to halt the decline in
personal relationships and breakdown in society. So the
start of a new era is a new horizon, providing renewed
hope that such problems can be removed or at least
controlled. Some of these new religious groups see the approaching millennium as a time of personal and spiritual release. Leaders have instructed their members to be prepared for a whole variety of cataclysmic events: for armed attack, for fierce burning, for approaching space craft. There is a wide expectation among these groups that the millennium will be a time when the human body is no longer required; they expect it to be discarded, allowing its owner to be completely free from current constraints. A few have even anticipated this by joining in group suicide plots so that they will escape the widespread destruction they expect to occur. This interest in such things has been generated in part by existing religious associations with the millennium. The event would not be celebrated if it were not for the fact that our calendar, and that of much of the world, is calculated from the date when it is believed Jesus Christ was born. More recent research has shown that this calculation may be about five years out. But give or take those five years, it is almost two thousand years since Jesus was born, and not much less than that since Christianity became a world religion. The teachings of Christ burst upon the world in the early centuries of the modern era, and many pagan practices were quickly relegated in favour of worship patterned on the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and his apostles. To mark the start of the
third Christian millennium, great religious celebrations
were planned in many centres, notably in Rome where an
estimated 30 million pilgrims will have the opportunity
to worship in up to 50 new churches, as well as those
places of worship which already exist. One of these new
churches was called "The Church of the Year 2000",
specially to mark the significance of the event. The Pope
John Paul II had declared the year 2000 "a holy year",
hoping that Christians will be "if not united, at
least closer to resolving the divisions of the second
millennium". At the same time as there is a great eagerness for the new millennium to start, there is also an apprehension about the new era because of dire warnings about economic collapse, global warming, over population, depleted natural resources and potential international conflict involving weapons of mass destruction. Some prophets of doom have predicted that the new millennium will herald Armageddon, by which they mean the catastrophic end of human life on earth. With such differing outlooks being prophesied, it is reasonable to enquire if the new century will bring widespread destruction or the solution to all these difficult problems. A thousand years ago, at
the end of the first Christian millennium, there was
great expectation that something momentous would happen.
Religious leaders taught about the impending destruction
of Antichrist and an era of peace under the rule of Jesus
Christ. Despite preparations being made by many people
who thought the end of the world was drawing near,
nothing happened. Will the same be true of the year 2000?
And if it is, how will people cope with the
disappointment? The only reliable guide to the future — a guide which has stood the test of time and whose earlier predictions give confidence about all the other information it contains, is the Bible. It claims to be the Word of God — who inspired human writers to record His message to mankind. What then does the Bible have to say about the millennium? What we shall soon discover is that any reference to a millennium in the Bible has to do not with the moment at the turn of the century but with an entire period of a thousand years. Actually the word millennium does not appear anywhere in the Bible. But there are a few places where a "thousand years" are mentioned in a general sense, and one place where an era of a `'thousand years" is specifically described. Two of the general references to a thousand years use the phrase to explain how God is different from man, because He is not controlled by time: "A thousand years in God's sight are but as yesterday when it is past, or as a watch in the night" (Psalm 90:4), "With the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day" (II Peter 3:8). These verses help to put into context mankind's mad scramble to be ready for the year 2000 AD. God is able to view all of mankind's history in a moment of time. He can look deep into the past and far into the future He is not 'locked in the cage of time', as man is. God has been at work for
thousands of years with a plan and a purpose. He brought
the world into existence at the beginning, and wants it
to be a place where men and women can live at peace, with
each other and with Him Through the various Bible
writers, God has revealed to mankind many of the details
of His purpose. His work has continued through successive
ages: the generation before the Flood; the times of the
patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob), the formation of
the nation of Israel into a kingdom; the sending of His
Son; the Christian era; and finally He promises a great
'day of rest', when all His work will be complete. That
this is the purpose of His creative work is shown in the
opening chapters of the Bible as they speak of Him
resting when His work is complete: "God blessed the
seventh day and sanctified it, because in it he rested
from all his work which God had created and made" (Genesis
2:3). In this rest, He will be associated with those of
His creatures for whom "there remains a sabbath rest
... for whoever enters God's rest also ceases from his
labours as God did from His" (Hebrews 4:9,10).
But none of these references is to a specific period of a thousand years; the concept of a future millennium did not arise from these passages. Only in the last book of the Bible, the book of Revelation, is such a period mentioned (Revelation 20). Revelation is a prophetic
book, using highly graphic images and symbols to describe
what would happen to Jesus' followers after his death,
resurrection and ascension, continuing right through to
the time when God's purpose is complete. The closing
chapters of the book (chapters 19-22) concentrate on
events to do with Jesus' return and the setting up of the
kingdom of God. Chapter 20 explains about ``the thousand
years"—the Millennium.
The "thousand years"
— the only specific period of a thousand years
mentioned in the Bible — is a period of time when
Jesus rules the world. During this "millennium"
opposition to his reign will be restrained, allowing the
benefits of his leadership to be widely felt, until, in
the end, rebellion breaks forth, to be decisively
destroyed by direct action from God, leaving Christ to
reign supreme on God's behalf. We are reminded of the opening vision in Revelation where "one like unto the Son of Man"—surely a vision of Jesus himself is described as "he that liveth, and was dead and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell (Hades, or the grave) and of death" (Revelation 1:18). So who else can this angel be but the Lord Jesus Christ, "the firstborn from the dead" (Revelation 1:5), and therefore the one who is given authority by God over life and death? The chapter therefore starts with the return of Christ to rule the earth on God's behalf. In this work he is assisted by others who share in rulership: people who remained faithful to God despite persecution. They are to "live and reign with Christ a thousand years" (Revelation 20:4). Because many of these are people from earlier ages who have been in the grave for centuries, they will first be raised from the dead. Those who are welcomed by Jesus to "live and reign" with him will also be granted immortality, never to die again. They are called "saints" through their being separated to work with Jesus. As the Bible says, "Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Revelation 20:6). Resurrection is necessary because the Bible does not teach that man has an immortal soul or an unquenchable spark of eternity within him. Death is described in Scripture as the complete cessation of all knowledge and experience: "The dead know nothing, and they have no more reward, for the memory of them is forgotten. Also their love, their hatred, and their envy have now perished; nevermore will they have a share in anything done under the sun" (Ecclesiastes 9:5,6) NKJV. (For more information on the true state of death' and what follows, please see the companion booklet, After Death - What?) Having discovered that the thousand years mentioned in the Bible cannot start until Jesus Christ returns to earth, we now know some more details of what will occur: 1. Jesus will return to the earth, as promised by angels at the time of his ascension into heaven (see Acts 1:11). 2. He will raise from the dead all who have known about him. "This is the first resurrection" (Revelation 20:5). 3. Those who are judged to
be faithful (including those who have died and those who
are alive when he returns — (1 Thessalonians 4:15-17)
will join Jesus in ruling over the earth on God's behalf
(Revelation 5:10). If his return was going to be preceded by widespread peaceful conditions, here was an opportunity to inform his disciples so that they could be prepared. But he did not speak about peace. He actually warned his disciples, "Watch out that you are not deceived", knowing that there would be contradictory reports circulating, even amongst believers, about the conditions which will signal his return. But his words are clear: "On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea. Men will faint from terror, apprehensive of what is coming on the world, for the heavenly bodies will be shaken. At that time they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory" (Luke 21:25-27). This is not a description of peaceful conditions, but the exact opposite. It could well be a description of our own times. Men and women today are "apprehensive of what is coming on the world". As we have already considered, that is one reason why so many people are looking forward to 2000 AD. They hope it will provide the New Start the earth so desperately needs. If Jesus says that his
coming will be preceded by wars, fighting and widespread
despair' and not by peaceful conditions, we can prepare
ourselves as we see these conditions developing. "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." (Revelation 20:10) This is similar to the language Jesus used when he was speaking to his disciples about the kingdom of God, and who would enter it. Those who would forfeit their place in the kingdom through denying all that he taught, would be "cast into hell; where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched" (Mark 9:47,48). In the Bible, "hell" means simply the grave, so Jesus was speaking of complete destruction, with no hope of return, and not about everlasting fiery torments (see our companion booklet, Heaven and Hell ). The Biblical Devil is not an indestructible evil personality, but a symbol of sin and rebellion in the hearts of men (see the booklet, Do You Believe in a Devil?). But before evil and
wickedness are destroyed by being "cast into the
lake of fire and brimstone" (which is to happen at
the end of the thousand years), they are bound by the
Lord Jesus Christ. As we have seen, in the face of
honesty, truth and perfect knowledge, there will be no
place for cheating, fraud or duplicity. One of Jesus'
titles is "the Word of God" (Revelation 19:13),
and a great work of the thousand years will be the
application of God's Word as a guide in all aspects of
human government and personal life. The work of the saints under the direction of the Lord Jesus will be primarily to instruct the mortal population of the earth in the wonders of God's laws. They will be teachers, leaders and rulers on Christ's behalf. In one of his parables about the kingdom of God, Jesus spoke of a "certain nobleman" going into a far country to receive a kingdom, and then returning. The nobleman — representing Christ himself, of course — left his servants to work for him while he was away. On his return, he rewarded his faithful servants by giving them authority in his kingdom: "Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities" (Luke 19:17). Through delegating this work to the saints, Jesus' rule will be felt throughout the earth. This is the way it is described by the Old Testament prophet Isaiah: "Out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He shall judge among the nations, and rebuke many people: they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore." (Isaiah 2:3,4) The only way for nations
to be truly at peace is if they accept common principles.
God's law is designed to ensure peaceful and beneficial
cooperation between peoples. There will be no place for
the deceiver, or for anyone who wants to benefit from
other people's hardships. "He (the King-Jesus) will bring justice to the poor of the people; he will save the children of the needy, and will break in pieces the oppressor. He shall come down like rain upon the grass before mowing, like showers that water the earth. In his days the righteous shall flourish, and abundance of peace, until the moon is no more. He shall have dominion also from sea to sea ... His enemies will lick the dust ... all kings shall fall down before him, all nations shall serve him. For he will deliver the needy when he cries, the poor also, and him who has no helper. He will spare the poor and needy, and will save the souls of the needy. He will redeem their life from oppression and violence ..." (Psalm 72) The earth will at last begin to fulfil the promise of God's design in creation. Problems of famine and disease will diminish, for "The wilderness and the wasteland shall be glad for them, and the desert shall rejoice and blossom as the rose ... Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert" (Isaiah 35:1,6) With food supplies improved for all, with many causes of stress removed, and with the great Healer in the earth, men and women will live longer: "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" (Isaiah 65:20). "The child shall die
..."? Yes, there will still be death during the
thousand years. Jesus and the saints will be immortal,
but the rest of the earth's population will be mortal,
dying creatures, even though their life expectancy will
dramatically increase. The information given in the Bible
about the thousand years describes a wonderful era of
peace, safety, contentment and health when Jesus is King.
But it is still not a time of complete perfection. Death,
and therefore sin too, will still exist. To this wonderful temple
will come people from all parts of the world. Nations
will be positively encouraged to travel there regularly.
If they do not choose to worship God, He will withhold
His blessings: "If any of the families of the earth
do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD
of hosts, there will be no rain upon them" (Zechariah
14:17). The advantage of following God's ways will soon
be apparent, and many of the earth's population will be
pleased to accept His laws. Part of Jesus' work when he returns will be to restore God's witnesses, the Jews, for he is their King — as the notice over his cross explained: "This is Jesus, the King of the Jews" (Matthew 27:37). On his return, some in the Jewish nation will respond positively. God said through the prophet Zechariah: "I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a first-born" (Zechariah 12:10). The acceptance by Jesus of
his repentant countrymen, the Jews, and their acceptance
of him as their King, will fulfil the purpose of God with
the nation of Israel. From the time of their forefather
Abraham, God has promised faithful Jews a central part in
His kingdom. The continued existence of the nation has
been a standing witness to God's deep concern for mankind.
Under the rulership of Christ mortal Israelites will have
opportunity to continue that witness to the grace of God,
who has extended forgiveness and hope of redemption, even
to the nation who first rejected His Son and spurned His
offer of salvation. Together with the mortal inhabitants
of other nations, Jews will have the opportunity to
benefit from the conditions of the kingdom age, and to
offer service to the Lord Jesus Christ and honour to
Almighty God. At the end of the thousand
years, opportunity will be given for these thoughts to
have full expression. The symbolic language of Revelation
puts it like this: "When the thousand years have
expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will
go out to deceive the nations" (Revelation 20:7). As
the previous era of deceit was ended when Jesus and the
saints began widely to spread the Word of God and His
Law, it will only re-commence if the teaching of God's
Word is once more suspended. It appears that at the end
of the thousand years Jesus and the saints will retreat
from all parts of the world into the city of Jerusalem (Revelation
20:9). Their absence from government will allow rebels
once more to deceive the nations and "gather them
together to battle" (Revelation 20:8). This final destruction of all opposition will lead to a second resurrection and judgement of all who have lived during the thousand years: "I saw the dead, small and great standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works ... anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire" (Revelation 20:12-15). It will be impossible for anyone to claim that they have been treated badly or unfairly. Ample opportunity will be given during the thousand years to understand God's ways and to see the benefit of their widespread application. Those who reject His law will also be fully aware of the consequences of their rejection. Only when the final rebellion has been stilled, and after the second resurrection and judgement have taken place, can the last action of the thousand years be accomplished: "Death and hell were cast into the lake of fire" and destroyed. "There shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away" (Revelation 21:4). All the world's troubles will be ended — there will be no more crying, and real and lasting peace will extend throughout the earth. It is not only the book of
Revelation which reveals this sequence of events. In his
letter to believers living in Corinth, the Apostle Paul
writes about the resurrection from the dead, starting
with the resurrection of Jesus almost 2,000 years ago:
"Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are
Christ's at his coming. Then comes the end when he
delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when he puts an
end to all rule and all authority and power. For he must
reign till he has put all enemies under his feet. The
last enemy that will be destroyed is death" (I
Corinthians 15:23-26). "For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea." (Habakkuk 2:14) This describes a kingdom not limited by time, just as God Himself is not subject to such constraints. There will then be an eternal kingdom, as Paul goes on to describe: "Now when all things are made subject to him (Christ), then the Son himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under him, that God may be all in all" (I Corinthians 15:28). "All in all" is
an awe-inspiring description of complete and perfect
unity between God and His faithful creatures who have
been reconciled by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ. "When will these things be?" (Matthew 24:3; Luke 21:7). To answer this, we need to return to the question of the connection between the celebration of the year 2000 and Christ's millennial reign. Will the year 2001 (or 2002?) see the start of the thousand years mentioned in the Bible? Will all the present Millennium plans be fulfilled in the return of Jesus to the earth? The Bible answer is that we do not know exactly when Jesus will return: "Of that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, but my Father only" (Matthew 24:36). But the conditions which will exist immediately prior to his coming are known: wars, famines, disease and great distress, men and women "apprehensive of what is coming on the world". To be ready for his coming means being on constant alert. This was Jesus' message to his disciples: "If the master of the house had known what hour the thief would come, he would have watched and not allowed his house to be broken into. Therefore you also be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect." (Matthew 24:43,44) To be ready for Jesus' coming means that we must try to live now in accordance with God's Word, and to seek His Kingdom and glory. Those who will be with Jesus in his glory will be the ones whose names are found written in the Book of Life. Will your name be there? Reproduced by courtesy of the Christadelphian Magazine and Publishing Association by whom all rights are reserved. |
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