What Will the Millennial Kingdom Be Like?

Then, that is, after the glorified Christ has returned to earth and destroyed his enemies, then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand.

And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan.

and bound him for a thousand years.

And he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him so that he would not deceive the nations any longer until the thousand years were completed.

After these things, he must be released for a short time.

Then I saw thrones and they sat on them and judgment was given to them.

And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand.

And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed.

This is the first resurrection." Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection.

Over these, the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

Now, there is no shortage of debate among good and godly Christians over what the precise timing and nature of this kingdom is.

And it's unfortunate that that debate can often get quite strident.

It's why the millennial kingdom of Christ is sometimes referred to as the thousand years of peace that everyone loves to fight about.

But it is not my assignment tonight to defend premillennialism against postmillennialism and amillennialism.

That is a worthy endeavor.

I think it can and should be done.

But my assignment is to present Scripture's teaching on what the Millennial Kingdom will be like.

But I will state our position.

We believe that the events described in Revelation 20 follow chronologically from the events described in Revelation 19, so that Jesus returns before he sets up this earthly kingdom.

And we believe that the five mentions of a thousand years refer to a period of 1,000 literal years in which Jesus reigns upon the earth from Jerusalem over a restored nation of Israel as well as over all the nations in literal fulfillment of the prophecies of both Old and New Testaments.

And as I studied the scriptures seeking an answer to the question, what will the millennial kingdom be like? I found no fewer than 11 answers.

And so tonight I'm going to attempt to survey 11 features of the millennial kingdom.

They will of necessity be abbreviated.

But there is just so much that the scripture says about this unique time in redemptive history.