The Millennial Reign

THE MILLENNIAL

REIGN

THE KING • THE KINGDOM • OUR LEGACY

Revelation 20:1–10

BIG IDEA

Jesus is not only coming back to rescue His people. He is coming back to reign as King.

THE GREATEST LEGACY WE CAN LEAVE IS A LIFE THAT WAS FAITHFUL TO THE KING.

INTRODUCTION — WE HAVE NEVER SEEN A PERFECT GOVERNMENT

Every generation has wanted a better world.

• Better leaders

• Better government

• More justice

• Less violence and corruption

• More peace

Humanity has tried kings, empires, democracies, constitutions, courts, and treaties. Yet every system eventually encounters the same problem: imperfect people.

But Scripture points to a day when the world will experience something it has never experienced: a perfect King ruling with perfect righteousness.

REVELATION 19:16 “KING OF KINGS, AND LORD OF LORDS.”

Revelation 20 then describes a period of one thousand years during which Christ reigns — the Millennial Reign of Christ.

TODAY: THE KING • THE KINGDOM • OUR LEGACY

1. THE KING WILL REIGN

The first time Jesus came, He came in humility. When He returns, He comes in authority.

• He came as a baby in Bethlehem — He returns as King of Kings.

• He rode into Jerusalem on a donkey — He returns in victory.

• He wore a crown of thorns — He returns crowned as King.

• Men stood in judgment over Him — when He returns, He is the Judge.

ZECHARIAH 14:9 “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth.”

HISTORY IS MOVING TOWARD A KING.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN CHRIST BEGINS HIS REIGN?

• Christ reigns for 1,000 years.

• Satan is bound and prevented from deceiving the nations as before.

• Christ rules with righteousness and justice.

• The saints reign with Christ.

REVELATION 20:4 “They lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.”

WHAT WILL THE SAINTS DO?

The Bible does not give a complete job description, but it clearly presents believers as active participants in Christ’s kingdom.

• We will reign with Christ. — Revelation 20:4–6

• We will serve under Christ’s authority.

• We will participate in governing and administration.

• We will participate in judgment. — 1 Corinthians 6:2

• Some will apparently receive positions of responsibility. — Matthew 19:28; Luke 22:29–30

• Jesus’ teaching connects present faithfulness with future responsibility. — Luke 19:11–27

• We will help carry out the righteous purposes of the King.

WE DON’T REPLACE HIS AUTHORITY — WE EXERCISE AUTHORITY UNDER HIS AUTHORITY.

WHO ARE THE SAINTS REIGNING OVER?

In the common premillennial understanding:

• Glorified believers reign with Christ.

• Mortal believers who survive the Tribulation enter the Millennial Kingdom.

• Human life, families, and succeeding generations continue.

• Nations continue under Christ’s authority.

OUR LEGACY BEGINS WITH FAITHFULNESS

This is where prophecy becomes personal. Our legacy is not simply what we leave behind when we die. It is what our faithfulness today carries forward into God’s purposes tomorrow.

• What we do today matters.

• How we serve today matters.

• The faith we pass to our children and grandchildren matters.

• The people we influence for Christ matter.

• The Kingdom work we invest in matters.

• Our faithfulness has significance beyond the present moment.

THE GREATEST LEGACY WE CAN LEAVE IS A LIFE THAT WAS FAITHFUL TO THE KING.

We are not just waiting for the Kingdom. We are living now in a way that leaves a Kingdom legacy.

2. THE KINGDOM WILL BE DIFFERENT

Imagine a world where Jesus Christ Himself is King.

SATAN WILL BE BOUND

• Satan is seized.

• Satan is bound.

• Satan is confined.

• His ability to deceive the nations is restrained.

For thousands of years humanity has lived in a world affected by satanic deception. During the Millennium, that influence is dramatically restrained.

JESUS WILL RULE WITH PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS

ISAIAH 11:4 “With righteousness shall he judge the poor, and reprove with equity for the meek of the earth.”

• He cannot be bribed.

• He cannot be manipulated.

• He cannot be corrupted.

• He cannot be deceived.

• He does not play favorites.

• He does not make mistakes.

WHEN JESUS RULES, RIGHTEOUSNESS WILL NOT BE THE EXCEPTION — IT WILL BE THE STANDARD.

A KINGDOM CHARACTERIZED BY PEACE

ISAIAH 2:4 “They shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks.”

Humanity has spent thousands of years trying to create lasting peace. Lasting peace finally comes when the Prince of Peace rules.

Isaiah’s prophetic picture includes:

• Extraordinary peace

• Righteous justice

• Harmony among the nations

• Restoration within creation

• Widespread knowledge of God

ISAIAH 11:9 “The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea.”

THE CROWN OF THORNS WAS NOT THE LAST CROWN JESUS WOULD WEAR.

ONE IMPORTANT TRUTH ABOUT THE HUMAN HEART

At the end of the thousand years, Satan is released and some still choose to rebel against Christ. — Revelation 20:7–9

EVEN A PERFECT ENVIRONMENT CANNOT FIX AN UNREDEEMED HEART.

The Millennium demonstrates that humanity does not merely need better circumstances, better government, or a better world. We need transformed hearts.

LEGACY: WHAT WILL STILL MATTER?

We spend much of life building things that will eventually disappear:

• Homes change hands.

• Possessions wear out.

• Careers end.

• Titles disappear.

But what we do for the Kingdom has lasting significance.

THE QUESTION IS NOT ONLY: “WHAT WILL PEOPLE REMEMBER ABOUT ME?”

THE BETTER QUESTION: “WHAT DID MY LIFE CONTRIBUTE TO THE KINGDOM OF GOD?”

CONCLUSION — LIVE TODAY IN LIGHT OF THAT DAY

What does the Millennium mean for us today?

• Jesus is coming again.

• Jesus will reign.

• Satan will ultimately be defeated.

• Evil does not win.

• God’s promises will be fulfilled.

• Those who belong to Christ will reign with Him.

• This present world is not the end of the story.

THREE QUESTIONS TO CARRY HOME

THE KING — Who are you living for?

THE KINGDOM — What are you investing in?

OUR LEGACY — What will remain because you were faithful?

One day the King will reign, His Kingdom will come, and everything temporary will pass away. So build your life around something that will still matter when the King takes His throne.

AFTER THE MILLENNIUM

Revelation 21 points beyond the Millennium to something even greater:

• A new heaven and a new earth

• No more death

• No more sorrow

• No more crying

• No more pain

• God dwelling with His people forever

IF JESUS IS GOING TO REIGN AS KING OVER THE WORLD TOMORROW, LET HIM REIGN AS KING OVER YOUR LIFE TODAY.

Build a legacy of faithfulness to the King.