1000 Years of PEACE

The Thousand Years

Revelation 20:1-3 ⁽¹⁾And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. ⁽²⁾He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ⁽³⁾He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time. (NIV)

                John saw an angel come from Heaven with a key and chain in order to lock up the devil for a thousand years. Now is this a literal thousand years? It may be or it may be one day. God’s timing is different than ours, but regardless of which, there will be a time when he will no longer be able to trick the world with his cunning deceptions. He will be thrown into the Abyss, but will be set free for a short time. 2 Peter 3:8-10 But do not forget this one thin, dear friends With the Lord a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years is like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. (NIV)

 

Revelation 20:4-6 ⁽⁴⁾I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. ⁽⁵⁾(The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. ⁽⁶⁾Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (NIV)

            John saw the final judgment. All will stand before the judgment seat of God and will give an account for all that they did on earth. God will judge His people and those who professed to be followers of Him. 1 Peter 4:17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God's household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? (NIV) This is why it is important for us, as the Body of Christ, to ensure that we live in accordance to the will of God; we will have to give an account for everything that we did on earth, and the example that we set before others. Those who are found worthy to make it into the Kingdom of God will in return judge the wicked. 1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life! (NIV) God will not allow us to judge the world when we have been found compromised ourselves. We must stand firm on the Word of God in order to be deemed worthy by the blood of the Lamb when He returns.

            The martyrs who died for the sake of Christ were raised back to life and received their righteous reward. They did not compromise and take the beast’s mark. They stood firm even unto death. We have seen the bravery of those who have been slain by ISIS and other terrorists groups on social media and God will reward them. We must ALL be ready to take the same stand should and when our time come. The beast’s mark is more than just an RFID chip or some outward display for the sole purpose of buying and selling. It is also turning to the deception of the enemy and denying Christ. It is allowing ourselves to follow teachings of heresy instead of the true message of God. Those who cannot stand up now for the principles of God are already denying Him even before the threat of a bullet or guillotine is even presented. Matthew 10:32-33  “Whoever acknowledges me before others, I will also acknowledge before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before others, I will disown before my Father in heaven. (NIV) Unfortunately, so many within the body of Christ have already decided to bow to the beast system of homosexuality, gay marriage, worldly living and more.

 

            We want to make sure that we are raised in the first resurrection, for this will be the resurrection of the saints. Those are raised in the second resurrection will be raised to eternal damnation. 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18 ⁽¹³⁾Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. ⁽¹⁴⁾For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. ⁽¹⁵⁾According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. ⁽¹⁶⁾For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ⁽¹⁷⁾After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. ⁽¹⁸⁾Therefore encourage one another with these words. (NIV)

 

Join us on Monday where we will be continuing our study out of the book of Revelation.