Millennial Reign by Editor

Pacific Press Publishing Company · Oakland, California · May 6, 1897

FromSigns of the Times, Vol. 23, No. 18.

Millennial Reign

By Editor

No. 557. Millennial Reign.

Do NOT Rev. 20:6 (last part) and Rev. 5:10 prove that the reign during the 1,000 years will be on this earth? —S.

Not at all. Rev. 5:10 declares in that anticipatory song, “We shall reign on the earth;” but it does not say when. The thousand years’ reign in the New Jerusalem in heaven is the beginning of the eternal reign; but it differs from what comes after in that it is a work of judgment over what is written in the books with respect to the wicked. John 13:36; 14:1-3; 1 Thess. 4:16, 17, with Rev. 14:1-3; 15:2, 3; 19:1, conclusively show that at Christ’s second coming the saints are taken to heaven, to the many mansions in the city of God. The sea of glass and the throne, Rev. 4:1-6 shows to be in heaven. During this time the earth lies empty, desolate of inhabitants. And yet the saints have entered upon their inheritance, for the glorious city which they have sought (Heb. 13:14) is a part of the eternal kingdom (Heb. 11:14-16; Rev. 21:1, 2). John 17:24, to which our correspondent refers, takes in not only Christ’s work in heaven during the thousand years, but the whole eternal reign.