The Thousand Year Reign of Christ on Earth: Is it Biblical?

Mar 14, 2014 | PhilipFreneau

[PhilipFreneau]

The Thousand Year Reign of Christ on Earth: Is it Biblical?

This is the passage in question:

"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 Jesus, and for the word of God, 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 Christ 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 God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years." (Rev 20:4-6 KJV)

There are two events noticeably absent from the passage:

1) There is no mention of a reign on earth of any kind.

2) There is no time limit placed on Christ's reign: it only states that those who are resurrected reign with Christ for "1000 years."

The first item should be apparent from some of Jesus' last words on earth:

"My kingdom is not of this world…" (John 18:36 KJV).

… and from some of his first words after his ascension, where he is speaking from his throne:

"To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." (Rev 3:21 KJV)

But there are numerous other indicators, for example:

"The Lord hath prepared his throne in the heavens; and his kingdom ruleth over all." (Ps 103:19 KJV)

"The Lord is in his holy temple, the Lord's throne is in heaven…" (Ps 11:4 KJV)

"Thus saith the Lord, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest?" (Isa 66:1 KJV)

"For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:" (Heb 9:24 KJV)

"But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool." (Heb 10:12-13 KJV)

"Who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto him." (1 Pet 3:22 KJV)

Many of those same items also explain the second item: that Christ reigns forever. But there are many more:

"Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever… " (Isa 9:7 KJV)

"Thy seed will I establish for ever, and build up thy throne to all generations. Selah." (Ps 89:4 KJV)

"His seed also will I make to endure for ever, and his throne as the days of heaven." (Ps 89:29 KJV)

"His seed shall endure for ever, and his throne as the sun before me. It shall be established for ever as the moon, and as a faithful witness in heaven. Selah." (Ps 89:36-37 KJV)

"The king that faithfully judgeth the poor, his throne shall be established for ever." (Pro 29:14 KJV)

So, it should be apparent that Christ reigns forever from his throne in heaven. But what is the disposition of those resurrected during the first resurrection? Paul explains it this way:

"For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord. Wherefore comfort one another with these words." (1 Th 4:16-18 KJV)

According to Paul, those of the first resurrection are not coming back to earth. Therefore, it is safe to conclude that if there is a limited "1000 year reign" by Christ and his saints on this earth, they will reign from heaven, and not from earthly thrones and/or habitats.

I believe the more logical conclusion is that Christ reigns over the earth from his throne in heaven, forever; and those of the first resurrection reign with him, as servants and priests, either forever (they are with Him forever,) or until their services are no longer needed (for example, until Satan is defeated.)

Philip

[CynicalBear]

Some don’t think God is capable of following through on His promises. Carnal minds don’t understand things of the Spirit.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>Even in the verses you try to cite to support your thesis, it says the heavenly Jerusalem is descending out of heaven!<<<

Where does new Jerusalem descend to, here?

"But in the last days it shall come to pass, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established in the top of the mountains, and it shall be exalted above the hills; and people shall flow unto it. And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem." (Mic 4:1-2 KJV)

Or here:

"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," (Rev 21:10 KJV)

In either case, that is going to be one tough climb, if it is a physical mountain in the top of the mountains. But it clearly is a spiritual mountain named mount Sion:

"But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, To the general assembly and church of the firstborn, which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant…." (Heb 12:22-24 KJV)

Philip

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>I don’t need to explain it. It is prophesied, so it will come to pass.<<<

That can only mean you don’t know how to explain it. Welcome to the club.

Philip

[Boogieman]

“Where does new Jerusalem descend to, here?”

Well, in the verse that speaks of it, it says that it is descending from heaven, so obviously it CANNOT be descending to heaven as well. It must be descending somewhere else, so your arguments about a “spiritual mountain” are just silly.

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>Well, in the verse that speaks of it, it says that it is descending from heaven, so obviously it CANNOT be descending to heaven as well. It must be descending somewhere else, so your arguments about a “spiritual mountain” are just silly.<<<

John was not "in the spirit" when he saw the city descending? I must have misread the verse. I will post it again:

"And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," (Rev 21:10 KJV)

I was correct, after all. John was in the spirit, at or near a great and high mountain, when he saw the holy Jerusalem descend. Sounds like a spiritual city and mountain to me. The description of the mountain as "great and high" certainly excludes those little hills (the ones they pretend are mountains) in the physical land of Israel.

LOL!

Philip

[Boogieman]

So you continue to insist, even though John states clearly the holy Jerusalem is descending OUT of heaven, that it is actually descending IN to heaven?

[PhilipFreneau]

>>>So you continue to insist, even though John states clearly the holy Jerusalem is descending OUT of heaven, that it is actually descending IN to heaven?<<<

The way I understand it, New Jerusalem is the Church. It is spiritual and in heaven (like a headquarters, if you will;) but if you are a Christian, it also exists within you:

"And I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, and be their God." (Rev 21:3 KJV)

One thing for certain: if it was literal, and it did descend down from heaven to the earth, it would look something like this in size:

Philip