Could the millennial reign of Christ in Revelation 20:1-6 lead to universal salvation?

Revelation 20:1-15, Revelation 21:1 reads:

“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.

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.

⁷ When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison ⁸ and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. ⁹ They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰ And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

¹¹ Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. ¹² And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. ¹³ The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

Revelation 20:1-15, Revelation 21:1

The millennium is a thousand-year period when Jesus returns and reigns with his saints. Satan will be bound and unable to deceive the nations anymore. He is released at the end of the millennium and soon after thrown into the lake of fire, defeated forever. Following this is the Last Judgment on the great white throne by Jesus, whom God has given all judgment to (“For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son,” John 5:22).  The dead are all judged according to what they have done.  Death and Hades are thrown into the lake of fire, and anyone who is not in the book of life is thrown into the fire.

Finally, after this, life in the new heaven and new earth begins.

Which millennial view is correct?

There are 3 different ways that Christians interpret Revelation 20:1-6, which states that Satan will be bound and not be able to deceive the nations anymore. Directly following Satan being bound, believers come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years.

1)    Amillennialists believe the millennium kingdom of God started when Christ was resurrected, which is when he was victorious over Satan and sin. Christ is currently reigning at the right hand of the Father. When this present age ends, Christ will return and the eternal state will begin after the last judgment. They believe in an “already/not yet” reign of Christ, that Christ currently reigns and has already beat Satan through his death and resurrection. They think in this period there will be gospel growth but also strong resistance to Christianity along with great suffering. The reign of believers is a heavenly reign not an earthly reign. They think Satan being bound in this age means that the nations can be reached for the gospel as they are no longer being deceived by Satan, but in other ways he is not “bound”.

2)    Postmillennialists believe the one thousand years is not a literal time frame but a symbolic one in which gradually the world will be Christianized. After that, Christ will return, judge, and the new heaven and new earth will begin.

3)    Premillennialists believe that Christ returns right before the millennium after a period of tribulation. Satan will be bound following the second coming of Christ and will not be able to deceive the nations. This could potentially be an opportunity for many unbelievers no longer deceived by Satan to turn to Christ and be saved. After the millennium, Satan will be released and the final judgment will commence. Premillennialism is the oldest held view in Christianity concerning Revelation 20.

(By and Bandy, 2024)

Is amillennialism true?

Consider the way "age" is used in the Bible:

Revelation 20:1-10 (see above)

^32 “Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.”

Matthew 12:32

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus said to them, “no one who has left home or wife or brothers or sisters or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God ³⁰ will fail to receive many times as much in this age, and in the age to come eternal life.”

Luke 18:30

²⁹ “Truly I tell you,” Jesus replied, “no one who has left home or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or fields for me and the gospel ³⁰ will fail to receive a hundred times as much in this present age: homes, brothers, sisters, mothers, children and fields—along with persecutions—and in the age to come eternal life. ³¹ But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

Mark 10:30

^34 “Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. ³⁵ But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, ³⁶ and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children, since they are children of the resurrection.”

 Luke 20:34

“That power is the same as the mighty strength ²⁰ he exerted when he raised Christ from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹ far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is invoked, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²² And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, ²³ which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”

Ephesians 1:21

^3” Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ, ⁴ who gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father, ⁵ to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.”

Galatians 1:3-5

^6 “We do, however, speak a message of wisdom among the mature, but not the wisdom of this age or of the rulers of this age, who are coming to nothing.”

1 Corinthians 2:6

^4 “The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel that displays the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

2 Corinthians 4:4

“We know that we are children of God, and that the whole world is under the control of the evil one.”

1 John 5:19

How can amillennialism be true if there are two different ages described many times in scripture, the current and first of which is ruled by “the rulers of this age who are coming to nothing” (1 Corinthians 2:6), in which the god of this age has “blinded the minds of unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 4:4), and which is "under the control of the evil one" (1 John 5:19)? In the millennium, Christ and his saints are ruling, not the rulers of this age. The evil one is decidedly not in control. In the millennium, Satan is bound and unable to deceive the nations, but in this age that Paul is describing in 2 Corinthians 4:4 he has blinded the minds of unbelievers. How can the current age be the age of the millennium if in this age Satan is ruling, blinding unbelievers, and in control?

^7 “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

James 4:7

^“Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. ⁹ Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings.”

If Christians need to resist him, and he roams around like a roaring lion, is Satan currently bound?

Amillennialism responds to this by saying Satan is bound “so that he might not deceive the nations any longer”, but not so he would “not operate at all”.  Amillennialism explains that Christ bound Satan by his death and resurrection. Satan fell like lightning from heaven, the ruler of the world will be cast out, and the Gentile nations will no longer be in a state of ignorance (Acts 17:30). Nevertheless, while Jesus’ death and resurrection certainly dealt a fatal blow to Satan, is he currently bound so the nations are no longer deceived?

2 Corinthians 4:4 is very clear that Satan has currently blinded the minds – therefore, deceived, the minds of unbelievers – the minds of the many unreached people groups (the nations), which, according to the Joshua Project, a Christian missions data base and prayer resource, still currently make up about 42% of the world (see joshuaproject.net). The devil certainly seems to still have a considerable hold. Is he really bound?

Aren’t unbelievers – the nations – still deceived? And again, 2 Corinthians 4:4 says “the god of this world” has done that, implying that Satan is currently the god of this world. When Christ returns to reign at the beginning of the millennium, Satan will of course no longer be the god of this world – Christ and his saints will reign.

Does it make logical sense to say the devil is already bound and the nations are no longer deceived?

How can amillennialism be true?

Finally, if the Trinity doctrine is not true, that further proves amillennialism is false. Since Christ’s ascension about two thousand years ago, the enemy has continued to deceive, sadly, even Christians.

Postmillennialism

Again, similar to amillennialism this view holds that the current age is the kingdom of God, thinking that Christ’s kingdom was established at his first coming and is expanding. But, this view is much more optimistic, holding that the great majority of the world will be converted to Christ. Once that happens, Christ will return.

Opponents of this view point out that postmillennialism would need to be incorrect if Revelation 19-20 was chronological, given that Christ returns in Revelation 19 before the millennium in Revelation 20. However, some argue that Revelation is not chronological. While this is certainly true if the book is read as a whole, Revelation 19-21 are clearly chronological given the content of the chapters. Sequential language is used. In Revelation 19, Christ gets married, heaven opens (Revelation 19:11), and he, with heaven's armies, wages wars with the Word of God on the beast and the false prophet (whatever that may mean). In Revelation 20, his millennial kingdom begins. The millennium in Revelation 20 indicates chronological order as it is for a specific time frame, 1000 years, and the other dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended (v.5, later in v. 11-15). The judgment of Satan happens in verses 7-10 WHEN the thousand years are OVER. The great white throne judgment follows, and finally, the new heaven and the new earth – obviously the last part of the story of the Bible. So, while Revelation as a whole may not be chronological, Revelation 19-20 are.

But the strongest argument against postmillennialism is to look at world history and the reality of the world today. Is the world Christianized, or are Christians persecuted? Is God’s just government on display, or are nations are at war? How could postmillennialism be true? The majority of the world is not saved, and Paul says: 

“But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. ² People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, ³ without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, ⁴ treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— ⁵ having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people.”

2 Timothy 3:1-5

Postmillennialism says by the last days the state of the world will have gotten better and better. The last days will not be “terrible times”, as Paul witnesses to.  Again, we only need to look around the world today to question postmillennialism’ validity.

How can postmillennialism be true?

Premillennialism

^“Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. ²⁵ For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. ²⁶ The last enemy to be destroyed is death. ²⁷ For he “has put everything under his feet.” Now when it says that “everything” has been put under him, it is clear that this does not include God himself, who put everything under Christ. ²⁸ When he has done this, then the Son himself will be made subject to him who put everything under him, so that God may be all in all.” 1 Corinthians 15:24-27

^“The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. ¹⁴ Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. ¹⁵ Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire. Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.”

Revelation 20:13-15, Revelation 21:1

If Christ reigns until death is destroyed, which happens right before the new heaven and the new earth (Revelation 20:14, death is thrown into the lake of fire), and after the millennium, when does Christ destroy all dominion, authority, and power? Is Paul referring to a destruction when Christ is in heaven or a destruction that happens while Christ is reigning over the kingdom literally? Could that happen during the millennium when Christ physically reigns and Satan is bound? Could that be when all dominion, authority, and power are destroyed?

Also, without a literal bodily reign of Christ, how would God’s promises to David/Jesus be fulfilled?

^33 “…but I will not take my love from him [David],    nor will I ever betray my faithfulness.³⁴ I will not violate my covenant    or alter what my lips have uttered.³⁵ Once for all, I have sworn by my holiness—    and I will not lie to David—³⁶ that his line will continue forever    and his throne endure before me like the sun;³⁷ it will be established forever like the moon,    the faithful witness in the sky.”

Psalm 89:33-37

²⁸ Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 19:28

²⁴ “‘My servant David will be king over them, and they will all have one shepherd. They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees. ²⁵ They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your ancestors lived. They and their children and their children’s children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever.”

Ezekiel 37:24-25

⁵ Afterward the Israelites will return and seek the Lord their God and David their king. They will come trembling to the Lord and to his blessings in the last days.

Hosea 3:5

^9 “Instead, they will serve the Lord their God    and David their king,    whom I will raise up for them.”

Jeremiah 30:9

If Christ was David, while this could be referring to Christ’s bodily reign in the new heaven and the new earth, nowhere in Revelation 21-22 does it say that Christ was resurrected when the new earth and new heaven begin. The Bible says Christ came back in Revelation 19 and began reigning on earth at that point (Revelation 20:1-6) before the new heaven and new earth. What if he literally, bodily returns with his saints to destroy "all dominion, authority and power" (1 Corinthians 15:24-26) during the millennium?

Isaiah 2:2-4 says,

 “In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it.”

This has not happened fully yet, and this is not something that will happen in the new heaven and the new earth because this will happen in the “last days” before the new heaven and new earth. Doesn’t this suggest a millennium where Christ bodily reigns? The mountain of the Lord’s temple certainly hasn’t been established as the highest of the mountains yet.

Isaiah 11:1-16 says,

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse;    from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.² The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—    the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding,    the Spirit of counsel and of might,    the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord—³ and he will delight in the fear of the Lord.

He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes,    or decide by what he hears with his ears;⁴ but with righteousness he will judge the needy,    with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth;    with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.⁵ Righteousness will be his belt    and faithfulness the sash around his waist.

⁶ The wolf will live with the lamb,    the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together;    and a little child will lead them.⁷ The cow will feed with the bear,    their young will lie down together,    and the lion will eat straw like the ox.⁸ The infant will play near the cobra’s den,    and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest.⁹ They will neither harm nor destroy    on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord    as the waters cover the sea.

¹⁰ In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his resting place will be glorious. ¹¹ In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the surviving remnant of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush, from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the Mediterranean.

¹² He will raise a banner for the nations    and gather the exiles of Israel; he will assemble the scattered people of Judah    from the four quarters of the earth.¹³ Ephraim’s jealousy will vanish,    and Judah’s enemies will be destroyed; Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah,    nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim.¹⁴ They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west;    together they will plunder the people to the east. They will subdue Edom and Moab,    and the Ammonites will be subject to them.¹⁵ The Lord will dry up    the gulf of the Egyptian sea; with a scorching wind he will sweep his hand    over the Euphrates River. He will break it up into seven streams    so that anyone can cross over in sandals.¹⁶ There will be a highway for the remnant of his people    that is left from Assyria, as there was for Israel    when they came up from Egypt.”

In these verses, Christ is clearly reigning bodily. Have these promises come true yet? No. If no, when do these things occur? During the new heaven and new earth? How can that be if the earth “will” be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, but in this passage that has not happened yet (verse 9)? In the new heaven and new earth, the earth IS filled with the knowledge of the Lord. Don’t these verses seem to point to an in between stage of the kingdom of God coming literally before the last judgment?

 ^“Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Matthew 19:28

^“You are those who have stood by me in my trials. ²⁹ And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, ³⁰ so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.”

Luke 22:28-30

Jesus is referring to when he returns on “his glorious throne”. His disciples will also have thrones and be judging the twelve tribes of Israel. This must be talking about either the millennium, where Christ returns bodily, or the new heaven and new earth, which is when amillennialists and postmillennialists think Christ bodily returns. Given that the last judgment happens right before the new heaven and the earth at the end of Revelation 20, following the millennium, how can Jesus be referring to the new heaven and the new earth as the disciples are judging people? In the new heaven and the new earth there is no sin, so what would there be to judge?

It must be the millennial kingdom.

Given all the quoted verses, which view seems more likely: amillennialism, postmillennialism, or premillennialism?

Premillennialism. What if everyone could be saved during the millennium when Satan is bound, unable to deceive the nations anymore? If people are not blinded by Satan (2 Corinthians 4:4), wouldn’t many more – maybe all unbelievers – turn to God? Is anything too hard for God? Isaiah 11:9, clearly referring to Christ’s bodily reign before the new heaven and the new earth, says,

“They will neither harm nor destroy    on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord    as the waters cover the sea.” Habakuk 2:14

Doesn’t that sound like world evangelization? All things are possible with God.

And if reincarnation is true: even those who did not repent and believe in the gospel in past lives could even be saved in the millennium. Yes, the Bible does not explicitly state there is universal reincarnation, but I believe the Bible shows that reincarnation exists and is the reality for some, most notably Jesus. So, I think this is possible – even likely, as I explain in section 4 of this blog. And if not, I still believe it is possible for everyone to be saved, even if I cannot see how, because this is God’s will (1 Timothy 2:4).

Additional Information about the Millennium

The Bible talks about the millennial reign of Christ throughout:

Isaiah 65:17-25

Isaiah describes it in 65:17-25. The phrase in the first verse, “I will create” is the Hebrew word “bore” that is the participle form of the verb “to create”, meaning: an imminent action, an action in progress, or a habitual action. Different translations of verse 17 include the NIV, “See, I will create new heavens and a new earth. The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind,” and the NLT, “Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore.” So, the time period described in Isaiah 65:17-25 is one in which the new heavens and new earth are being created: an incredibly blessed time period that is very different than the world has operated since the fall. Isaiah 65:17-25 in the ESV says,

““For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy, and her people to be a gladness.”

Note that “create” is stated as if it is an ongoing action God is doing during this time. This fits with Revelation 3:21 where God says He will restore all things when Christ returns. He is doing this by creating a new heavens and new earth.

“I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people; no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed.”

During this time period, length of days will be extended - so much so that young men will die at 100.

“They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit. They shall not build and another inhabit; they shall not plant and another eat; for like the days of a tree shall the days of my people be, and my chosen shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain or bear children for calamity, for they shall be the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are yet speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.”

The animal kingdom will be impacted such that carnivores will not hurt herbivores. Hurt and destruction will not exist on God’s holy mountain. These realities will start in the millennium kingdom described in Revelation 20:1-6 as this cannot be referring to before this kingdom as the Bible describes the age before this as ruled by the god of this age, Satan. This kingdom isn’t talking about the new heavens and new earth because death still exists though there is long life, and death won’t exist in the new heaven and new earth. This is an in between time of God creating the new heaven and new earth that Isaiah is describing.

Isaiah 9:1-7

“Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will honor Galilee of the nations, by the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan— The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned. You have enlarged the nation and increased their joy; they rejoice before you as people rejoice at the harvest, as warriors rejoice when dividing the plunder. For as in the day of Midian’s defeat, you have shattered the yoke that burdens them, the bar across their shoulders, the rod of their oppressor. Every warrior’s boot used in battle and every garment rolled in blood will be destined for burning, will be fuel for the fire. For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the greatness of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the Lord Almighty will accomplish this.”

There is no dispute that this is referring to Jesus. But this prophecy has not yet fully been fulfilled. Jesus’ government and peace currently has an end - wherever there is violence, Jesus’ kingdom of justice and righteousness is not being established. Yet Isaiah prophesies Jesus/David’s kingdom of justice and righteousness will have no end - forever! The zeal of God ALMIGHTY will make this happen.

And when will He make it happen? Presumably when Christ reigns on earth during the millennial kingdom as Revelation 20:4 says. These verses refer to a literal reign of Christ on earth that is characterized by peace, justice, and righteousness. Amazing!

Psalms 72:11

“May all kings bow down to him and all nations serve him.”

Psalms 72:11 

David wrote this Psalm talking about the future king of Israel. As none of the kings after him were served by all nations, many believe this is a reference to the Messianic King, Jesus. All nations will serve Jesus. This has not happened yet - but it could in the millennial kingdom. Jesus is King of kings.

Luke 1:30-33

“But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary; you have found favor with God. You will conceive and give birth to a son, and you are to call him Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over Jacob’s descendants forever; his kingdom will never end.””

Jesus will have David’s throne and reign over Israel forever. Jesus’ kingdom will never end. Looking around the world today is proof this has not happened yet, but God promises it will.

Isaiah 11:1-9

“A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord— and he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes, or decide by what he hears with his ears; but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked. Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the cobra’s den, and the young child will put its hand into the viper’s nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.”

Here we read of righteousness, faithfulness, and justice from Jesus. We read again of peace on earth extending even to the animal kingdom. Knowledge of God will fill the earth - so, world evangelization and discipleship.

Isaiah 2:1-5

“This is what Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem: In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. Many peoples will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between the nations and will settle disputes for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Come, descendants of Jacob, let us walk in the light of the Lord.”

World peace is further highlighted here. The Lord will judge between the nations and settle disputes for many peoples. War will end! This happens in the “last days”, so a period of time before the new heaven and the new earth. What other time period could this be referring to than the millennial reign of Christ with the saints?

Micah 4:1-5

“In the last days the mountain of the Lord’s temple will be established as the highest of the mountains; it will be exalted above the hills, and peoples will stream to it. Many nations will come and say, “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the temple of the God of Jacob. He will teach us his ways, so that we may walk in his paths.” The law will go out from Zion, the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. He will judge between many peoples and will settle disputes for strong nations far and wide. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. Everyone will sit under their own vine and under their own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the Lord Almighty has spoken. All the nations may walk in the name of their gods, but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God for ever and ever.”

Micah emphasizes himself here that war will end in the last days AND the nations shall stream to the mountain of the Lord’s temple to walk in the way of the Lord. This will all happen in the “last days”, so before the very end and the new heaven and new earth. What amazing promises!

Isaiah 19:23-25

“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria. The Assyrians will go to Egypt and the Egyptians to Assyria. The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, “Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.””

Egypt, Assyria, and Israel will be allies, worshipping together and being blessed by the Lord. Stop and consider the Middle East right now and how amazing these promises are! This means there will be peace between Israel and Iran.

Ezekiel 34:23-31

“I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them; he will tend them and be their shepherd. I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David will be prince among them. I the Lord have spoken. “ ‘I will make a covenant of peace with them and rid the land of savage beasts so that they may live in the wilderness and sleep in the forests in safety. I will make them and the places surrounding my hill a blessing. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. The trees will yield their fruit and the ground will yield its crops; the people will be secure in their land. They will know that I am the Lord, when I break the bars of their yoke and rescue them from the hands of those who enslaved them. They will no longer be plundered by the nations, nor will wild animals devour them. They will live in safety, and no one will make them afraid. I will provide for them a land renowned for its crops, and they will no longer be victims of famine in the land or bear the scorn of the nations. Then they will know that I, the Lord their God, am with them and that they, the Israelites, are my people, declares the Sovereign Lord. You are my sheep, the sheep of my pasture, and I am your God, declares the Sovereign Lord.’ ””

David, or Jesus, will reign as prince under God during this time as shepherd of God’s people. Another reference to savage beasts: that there will be no harm from them. God will bless the land and the crops. This sounds like 2 Chronicles 7:14, “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.”

Isaiah 29:17-24

“In a very short time, will not Lebanon be turned into a fertile field and the fertile field seem like a forest? In that day the deaf will hear the words of the scroll, and out of gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. Once more the humble will rejoice in the Lord; the needy will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. The ruthless will vanish, the mockers will disappear, and all who have an eye for evil will be cut down— those who with a word make someone out to be guilty, who ensnare the defender in court and with false testimony deprive the innocent of justice. Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, says to the descendants of Jacob: “No longer will Jacob be ashamed; no longer will their faces grow pale. When they see among them their children, the work of my hands, they will keep my name holy; they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One of Jacob, and will stand in awe of the God of Israel. Those who are wayward in spirit will gain understanding; those who complain will accept instruction.””

This sounds a lot like the millennial kingdom! The blind will see and the deaf will hear. This can happen when Satan is bound and unable to deceive in a unique way. The land will be blessed and fertile. True justice will be done in court.

Isaiah 35

“The desert and the parched land will be glad; the wilderness will rejoice and blossom. Like the crocus, it will burst into bloom; it will rejoice greatly and shout for joy. The glory of Lebanon will be given to it, the splendor of Carmel and Sharon; they will see the glory of the Lord, the splendor of our God. Strengthen the feeble hands, steady the knees that give way; say to those with fearful hearts, “Be strong, do not fear; your God will come, he will come with vengeance; with divine retribution he will come to save you.” Then will the eyes of the blind be opened and the ears of the deaf unstopped. Then will the lame leap like a deer, and the mute tongue shout for joy. Water will gush forth in the wilderness and streams in the desert. The burning sand will become a pool, the thirsty ground bubbling springs. In the haunts where jackals once lay, grass and reeds and papyrus will grow. And a highway will be there; it will be called the Way of Holiness; it will be for those who walk on that Way. The unclean will not journey on it; wicked fools will not go about on it. No lion will be there, nor any ravenous beast; they will not be found there. But only the redeemed will walk there, and those the Lord has rescued will return. They will enter Zion with singing; everlasting joy will crown their heads. Gladness and joy will overtake them, and sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

Why will the deaf hear and blind see at this time? Perhaps because Satan is bound and cannot deceive anymore (Revelation 20:1-3)! During this time, as Isaiah 65 discusses, God’s kingdom is breaking in like never before, with gladness and everlasting joy, devoid of sorrow and sighing! Of course this would happen when the millennial kingdom happens and God creates His new heaven and new earth!

Daniel 2:44

“And in the days of those kings the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that shall never be destroyed, nor shall the kingdom be left to another people. It shall break in pieces all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, and it shall stand forever…”

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God’s kingdom, Christ’s kingdom, will never be destroyed. All other kingdoms will come to an end. Just looking around the world it is clear there are other kingdoms besides Christ’s kingdom, like the “god of this world’s” kingdom. This verse promises all kingdoms besides Christ’s will come to an end.

Therefore, in summary, during the time of the millennium, war will cease to exist, human lifespans will be extended, God’s justice will reign, peace will extend into the animal kingdom, and unprecedented evangelism and discipleship will occur.

References for "Additional Information about the Millennium": (Jeremiah, n.d.), ("Enduring word bible commentary Isaiah Chapter 9", 2025), and ("Millennial reign and new heaven and New Earth", 2024)