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I am one who does not believe in a 1,000 year reign of Christ on earth. The Bible says that in the last days it will be as in the days of Noah. Well, we all know that in the days of Noah there were eight believers. Christians will be persecuted in the last days and many will fall away from the truth. We are beginning to see that but it should make us work harder to reach out with the Gospel and not sit back and wait for the end. How Christians can think they have an idea when the end will come is opposed to Scripture since Jesus said no one knows when the end will come except the Father. Jesus says that there will be signs but these signs have been happening for a long time. But not a long time in God's time.

You've hit the nail right on the head on two points:

First, your statement, contradicting all the predictions as to the timing of the return of Christ, comparing the 'second coming' to the coming of a 'thief in the night," ergo, unanticipatedly.

The more important thing is this notion of a thousand year reign of Christ on earth. The only mention of this is in the book of Revelation. The number of people, biblical scholars and laity alike, that take certain portions of Revelation literally while within the same sentences taking other portions figuratively is astonishing to say the least.

Revelation is a high-level big-picture view of the history of man and beyond on the front end as everything relates to God in perspective. It is not some snapshot view of a bunch of things indicative of what the scriptures says will not be 'broadcast' or 'forecasted' for anyone with a simple fourth-grade education to be able to ascertain the exact day of the return of the Lord. Yet, this is the perception.

As well, this "thousand year reign" actually began shortly after Christ's ascension!

Without elaborating in the interests of brevity, Jesus told us that the kingdom of God was "at hand" meaning he was it. He began to reign appropriately following his death and ascension and has since sat at the right hand of the Father reigning from there and in a figurative/metaphorical sense with us reigning with him during the gospel age.

Many falsely attempt to take something that Jesus said was not of this world, namely his kingdom, and make it of this world. It isn't nor ever will be.

Romans 5 lays out perfectly that this reign is a "reign with Christ" and there is absolutely no mention anywhere of a reign "over" anyone or anything. The reign is "[with Christ] and [by grace] in righteousness for trhe sole purpose of highlighting Christ and eternal life through him.

It is that simple. The return of Christ is the finality of life on earth as we all know it! There are no options for anyone following that.

I personally believe that the anti-christian sentiment is going to grow much worse prior to the return of Christ. JMO however.

It's very difficult to imagine what type of 'Bible' you have been reading.

There's absolutely NOTHING from Christ's comments about HIS KINGDOM to preclude HIS KINGDOM BEING BOTH spiritual and tangible--given HIS priorities and HIS TIMING and HIS WAYS OF DOING IT TO SUIT HIS GOALS.

Similarly, there's absolutely NOTHING in Scripture or logic which prevents GOD from writing a text of mixed literal and symbolic portions--even in the same sentence--as a puzzle He desires Believers to sort out and nonbelievers to be mystified by.

Sorry it's so seemingly mystifying to you. We may not know precisely what a given portion means ahead of time or perhaps until just prior to the time. Nevertheless, I am quite happy to trust God that He meant what He said and said what He meant and that it will become clearer either before, during or after the moment of fulfillment.

You said: It is that simple. The return of Christ is the finality of life on earth as we all know it! There are no options for anyone following that.

I find this a mind bogglingly off the wall assertion totally devoid of any logical or solid relationship to the Scriptures in The Bible that I have repeatedly been blessed to read.

You said that Christ's thousand year reign began immediately after His ascension.

You appear to be too bright to have said such a thing. Amazing. For THAT to have been as you assert--Plenty of other Scriptures regarding that reign would have ALSO HAD TO HAVE BEGUN THEIR FULFILLMENT IMMEDIATELY AFTER CHRIST'S ASCENSION. There's not a shred of evidence that a single example has transpired.

The New Jerusalem has not arrived.

The New Temple has not been built.

Evil has not been removed from the earth and locked up for any of the 2000 years since.

Satan is still running around loose contrary to his state in the 1,000 year reign.

etc. etc. and etc.

Perhaps you'd do well to read the Scriptures again. And perhaps several more times after that, too.