6 Things Every Christian Should Know About the 1000 Years

Revelation 20 refers to a 1000 year period immediately following Christ's return. This period of time is pictured by the next of God's annual festivals: the Feast of Tabernacles, which is also called the Feast of Ingathering and the Feast of Booths. This feast begins this Wednesday night and lasts for 7 days. Here are some important points about the Millennium that we should be familiar with and keep in mind during this time:

Revelation 19:15-16 

Out of [Christ's] mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter."He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS. 

#1 At Christ's return, He is going to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. He will "strike down the nations;" that is, he will destroy the governments of this world, and "He will rule them with and iron scepter." Many people believe that the Kingdom of God has already come, but we know that Christ is not currently ruling the world. Rather, the bible tells us that Satan is the "prince of the power over the air" and the ruler of the world presently. During the 1000 years, Satan will be bound (pictured by the Day of Atonement) and Christ will rule over the people who have survived.

Revelation 20:4-6

 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. 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... 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.

#2 Not only will Christ be the King of Kings, but he will appoint the resurrected saints as kings and priests in his government over the entire earth. The saints will be "given the authority to judge," and will be helping people to rebuild the world after the devastation caused by the events leading up to Christ's return. The saints will be "priests of God and of Christ," helping people to learn and live the way of God during this 1000 year period. 

Zechariah 14:9-16

The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name... Jerusalem will be raised up and remain in its place... It will be inhabited; never again will it be destroyed. Jerusalem will be secure.... Then the survivors from all the nations that have attacked Jerusalem will go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, and to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.  

#3 This scripture takes place during the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth, during which He will rule the nations as described in the first point. The Feast of Tabernacles will be celebrated then as a time to go up to worship the King of Kings every year, and this is the ultimate fulfillment of the festival. The Feast as we celebrate it today pictures this awesome time when all of mankind will learn the truth of God under the direct rule of Christ and the saints, and we should be striving to be among those saints who are resurrected at the last trumpet blast.

Zechariah 14:17-19

If any of the peoples of the earth do not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD Almighty, they will have no rain... The LORD will bring on them the plague he inflicts on the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. This will be the punishment of Egypt and the punishment of all the nations that do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles.

#4 Continuing in Zechariah, it becomes even more clear that the Kingdom of God will be on earth and Christ will be ruling over regular people. During the 1000 years, God will inflict a very specific penalty on any nation that will not keep the Feast of Tabernacles: they will not get any rain. At the time of Christ's return, people are going to be confused. Even after everything that the world has just been through and seen, some will not submit to Christ's governmental authority. When they fail to do this, their country will not get any rain.

Isaiah 2:2-4

In the last days the mountain of the LORD's temple will be established as chief among the mountains... and all nations will stream to it... The law will go out from Zion, the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore.

#5 Again here we see it reiterated that Jesus and the saints will be teaching people and will "settle disputes for many peoples." Here it goes on to point out something drastic difference from any time in recorded history: not only will there be no war for 1000 years, but they will not even train for war anymore. If you think about how much money, energy, and naturally resources are consumed by military production in our day and age, it becomes clear that this 1000 years of peace will be completely different from the concept of peace that the world understands today. 

Leviticus 23:39-43

celebrate the festival to the LORD for seven days...  On the first day you are to take choice fruit from the trees, and palm fronds, leafy branches and poplars, and rejoice before the LORD your God for seven days.... Live in booths for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in booths so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in booths when I brought them out of Egypt.

#6 Part of the Feast of Tabernacles observance commanded in the law is that the Israelites were to dwell in "booths," meaning temporary dwellings. They were to leave the place where they normally lived and take up a temporary home for the week. When God establishes His Kingdom on earth, He will be taking the entire world out of spiritual Egypt. For 1000 years, people will be going up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast, leaving their homes. Everyone will come to understand that their mortal life is just a booth, a temporary dwelling with which we must bear for the present time until we are made worthy to receive the "heavenly country" spoken of in Hebrews 11, the New Jerusalem which will come after the Great White Throne Judgment after the 1000 years.