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Pacific Press Publishing Co. · New York · July 14, 1898

FromAmerican Sentinel, Vol. 13, No. 27

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The Millennium On Earth And In Heaven.

By F. B.

“WHERE do men get the idea of a millennium on earth, mama?”
“The only place where the word millennium is found in the Bible is the 20th chapter of Revelation, where it is translated ‘a thousand years.’”
“Yes, I have read the chapter,” said Charlie.
“Do you understand it?”
“No; not fully.”
“Hand me the Bible, then, and find the place.—Who have a part in the first resurrection?”
“The blessed and holy,” said Charlie.
“What is the resurrection of the blessed and holy, called?”
“The first resurrection.”
“How long before the rest of the dead are raised?”
Charlie read, “The rest of the dead lived not again till the thousand years were finished.”
“Then you see clearly that there is a millennium, or a thousand years, between the resurrection of the righteous and of the wicked?”
“Yes, mama.”
“Now when does the resurrection of the blessed and the holy take place?”
“When Christ comes. I remember reading, ‘The Lord himself shall descend . . . and the dead in Christ shall rise first.’” 1 Thess. 4:16.
“The next verse says, that those who are raised from the dead at that time will be caught up to meet the Lord in the air. Now if they are caught away to be with the Lord at the beginning of the thousand years, who will be left to have a millennium on earth?”
“The wicked dead, and Satan and his hosts.”
“That is right. And how do you think they will enjoy the millennium?”
“Not very much, mama. It says an angel comes down from heaven and lays hold on Satan, and binds him for a thousand years in the bottomless pit. Does that mean the earth?”
“Yes, it is the same word that is translated ‘deep’ in the first chapter of Genesis, where the earth is described in a state of chaos. Darkness, desolation, and death will surround him who has deceived the nations of thedead. This is the kind of a millennium that will be on earth; but it is not the only millennium; for there is a millennium in heaven. How long do the saints reign with Christ?”
“And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”
“This is the reign that Satan hates. He who hated and defied the law of God, and sought to set up a rival government, to make his authority supreme on earth, will have the bitter privilege of pondering on the results of rebellion against omnipotent love.”
“And mama, will it subdue him, and cause him to repent?”
“No Charlie. He repents his failure, and laments the results; but knows nothing but hatred against God and his law.”
“Then why does God let him live on?”
“For our sakes, for the sake of the universe. We are to judge the world, to judge the fallen angels. When the death-sentence is finally executed, the whole universe will cry, ‘True and righteous are thy judgments.’”
“At the end of the thousand years, the camp of the saints, the beloved city, the New Jerusalem, will be found on earth. Some day the glorious city, with walls of jasper, garnished with all manner of precious stones, will come glittering down from heaven. The chaos of earth will present one plain of order for the beautiful city. The saints of the most High will be within, the Lamb will be the light of it. Then the voice of the son of God will break the long silence of the grave and the hosts of the wicked will be raised that they may fully understand the malignity of evil, and the goodness of love. But this revelation, despised during probationary years, will not change their spirit after death and the resurrection, though it will compel them to acknowledge the love of God, and to assent to the vindication of the Most High.”
“As soon as they are raised from the dead, Satan is loosed out of his prison for a little season. And now, Charlie, what does he do?” Rev. 20:7,8.
“‘And when the thousand years are expired Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations, which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: The number of whom is as the sand of the sea.’”
“Whatever does he think he can do with the nations, mama?”
“He thinks, or at least, he makes the nations think, that they can still war against God, that they can still make the earth a kingdom of hell, capture the city and the saints of God, overcome Him who once was crucified for the world’s sin, and wrest from heaven the planet earth, so that never can God’s will be done on earth. Now read the first part of the ninth verse.”
“‘And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city.’”
“What a scene that will be, Charlie. Around that glorious city whose builder and maker is God, will stand the hosts of evil. The same contrast will be seen between them and the redeemed as will appear between the city and the desolated earth. Through the transparent walls of the New Jerusalem, the rebel armies will see the holy people, radiant in light and love. They will behold the king in his beauty. What a contrast will they present! Marked with evil, scarred with sin, sorrow, sickness and death, ruled by the tyrant king, the deception of hell will be masked, and the end of delusions be made manifest. Rage and horror will mingle in the acknowledgment of God’s justice and love; but the fire of heaven will fall upon the refuse of the kingdoms. Please finish the verse.”
“‘And fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.’”
“This will be the last event of the millennium. Then the universe will ring with untold praise and joy; for God’s kingdom will have come, his will be the law of all worlds, the will of every creature.” F. B.