A thousand years is coming on earth and the devil does not want you to understand the truth about it and his thousand-year prison sentence, because it reveals his true character. Indeed, just as with every truth, Satan has concocted a counterfeit message for the millennium.
1. What event begins this 1,000-year period?
“And they lived [came alive] and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).
Answer: A resurrection begins the 1,000-year period.
2. What is this resurrection called? Who will be raised in it?
“This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection” (Revelation 20:5, 6)
Answer: It is called the first resurrection. The saved—“blessed and holy” from all ages—will be raised in it.
3. The Bible says there are two resurrections. When is the second resurrection, and who will be raised in it?
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.” (Revelation 20:5)
“Marvel not at this: for the hour is coming, in the which all that are in the graves shall hear his voice, And shall come forth; they that have done good, unto the resurrection of life; and they that have done evil, unto the resurrection of damnation.” (John 5:28,29)
Answer: The second resurrection takes place at the close of the 1,000-year period. The unsaved will be raised in this resurrection. It is called the resurrection of condemnation.
Please notice: The resurrection of the saved begins the 1,000 years which is called “the first resurrection”. The resurrection of the unsaved ends the 1,000 years.
4. What other momentous events take place when the 1,000 years begin?
“Behold, He cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see Him” (Revelation 1:7).
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive [and] remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (1 Thessalonians 4:16,17)
“And there were voices, and thunders, and lightnings; and there was a great earthquake, such as was not since men were upon the earth, so mighty an earthquake, [and] so great…
And there fell upon men a great hail out of heaven, [every stone] about the weight of a talent: and men blasphemed God because of the plague of the hail; for the plague thereof was exceeding great.” (Revelation 16:18, 21)
(See also Jeremiah 4:23–26; Isaiah 24:1, 3, 19, 20; Isaiah 2:21.)
Scholars’ estimates of the weight of a talent vary from 58 to 100 pounds!
Answer: Other momentous events that take place as the 1,000 years begin are: the most devastating earthquake and hailstorm in history strike the earth; Jesus returns in the clouds for His people; and all the saints are caught up into the air to meet Jesus.
5. What happens to the unsaved—living and dead—at Jesus’ second coming?
“And with the breath of his lips shall he slay the wicked” (Isaiah 11:4).
“And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ:” (2 Thessalonians 1:7,8)
“Let the wicked perish at the presence of God” (Psalm 68:2).
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.” (Revelation 20:5)
Answer: The living unsaved will be slain by the very presence of Christ at the second coming.
When an angel appeared at Jesus’ tomb, the entire group of Roman guards fell as dead men (Matthew 28:2, 4). When the brightness of all the angels, as well as the Father and Son, the unsaved will die as if hit by lightning. The wicked already dead when Jesus returns will remain in their graves until the end of the 1,000 years.
6. Many believe the unsaved will have an opportunity to repent during the 1,000 years. What does the Bible say about this?
“And the slain of the LORD shall be at that day from [one] end of the earth even unto the [other] end of the earth: they shall not be lamented, neither gathered, nor buried; they shall be dung upon the ground.” (Jeremiah 25:33)
“I beheld, and lo there was no man” (Jeremiah 4:25).
Answer: It will be impossible for any person to repent during the 1,000 years because there will not be a person alive on the earth. The righteous will all be in heaven. All the wicked will be laying dead upon the earth. Revelation 22:11, 12 makes it clear that the case of every person is closed before Jesus returns. Those who wait to accept Christ until the 1,000 years begin will have waited too long.
7. The Bible says that Satan will be bound in the “bottomless pit” during the 1,000 years. What is this pit?
“And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit…he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit… till the thousand years should be fulfilled:” (Revelation 20:1-3)
Answer: The word for “bottomless pit” in the original Greek is “abussos,” or abyss. That same word is used in Genesis 1:2 in the Greek version of the Old Testament in connection with the creation of the earth, but there it is translated “deep.” “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.” The words “deep,” “bottomless pit,” and “abyss” here refer to the same thing—the earth in its totally dark, disorganized form before God made order of it. Jeremiah, in describing this earth during the 1,000 years, used virtually the same terms as these in Genesis 1:2: “without form, and void,” “no light,” “no man,” and “black” (Jeremiah 4:23, 25, 28). So the battered, dark earth with no people alive will be called the bottomless pit, or abyss, during the 1,000 years, just as it was in the beginning before Creation was completed. Also, Isaiah 24:22 speaks of Satan and his angels during the 1,000 years as “gathered in the pit” and “shut up in the prison.”
8. What is the chain that binds Satan? Why is he bound?
“An angel…having … a great chain in his hand… laid hold on …Satan, and bound him a thousand years… and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled:” (Revelation 20:1-3)
Answer: The chain is symbolic—a chain of circumstances. A super-natural being cannot be confined with a literal chain. Satan is “tied down” because he has no people to deceive. The unsaved are all dead and the saved are all in heaven. The Lord confines the devil to this earth so he cannot roam the universe hoping to find someone to deceive. Forcing the devil to stay on the earth, alone with his demons for a thousand years with no one to deceive, will be for him the most galling chain ever forged.
REVIEW THE EVENTS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 1,000 YEARS:
- A devastating earthquake and hailstorm (Revelation 16:18–21)
- The second coming of Jesus for His saints (Matthew 24:30, 31)
- The saved dead raised to life (1 Thessalonians 4:16)
- The saved given immortality (1 Corinthians 15:51–55)
- The saved given bodies like Jesus (1 John 3:2; Philippians 3:20, 21)
- All the righteous caught up into the clouds (1 Thessalonians 4:17)
- The living wicked slain by the breath of the Lord’s mouth (Isaiah 11:4)
- The unsaved dead remain in their graves until the end of the 1,000 years (Revelation 20:5)
- Jesus takes the righteous to heaven (John 13:33, 36; 14:2, 3)
- Satan bound (Revelation 20:1–3)
9. Revelation 20:4 says there will be a judgment in heaven during the 1,000 years. What for? Who will participate?
“And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them. … And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Revelation 20:4).
“Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? … Know ye not that we shall judge angels?” (1 Corinthians 6:2, 3).
Answer: The saved from all ages (and probably even good angels) will participate in the judgment during the 1,000 years. The cases of all who are lost, including the devil and his angels, will be reviewed. This judgment will clear up any questions the saved might have about those who were lost.
In the end, all will see that people are shut out of heaven only if they did not really want to live like Jesus or to be with Him.
REVIEW OF THE EVENTS DURING THE 1,000 YEARS:
- The earth in a battered condition from huge hailstones and a devastating earthquake (Revelation 16:18–21)
- The earth in total blackout and desolate, a “bottomless pit” (Jeremiah 4:23, 28)
- Satan bound and forced to stay on the earth (Revelation 20:1–3)
- The righteous in heaven participate in the judgment (Revelation 20:4)
- The wicked are all dead (Jeremiah 4:25; Isaiah 11:4)
During the 1,000 years, every soul who has ever lived on earth will be in one of two places: (1) on the earth, dead and lost, or (2) in heaven, taking part in the judgment. The Lord invites you to be in heaven. Please accept His invitation!
10. At the close of the 1,000 years, the holy city, New Jerusalem, will come down from heaven to this earth. Who will come with it? Where will it settle?
“And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, and I heard a great voice out of heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God… [is] with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself shall be with them, [and be] their God.” (Revelation 21:2, 3)
“Behold, the day of the LORD cometh… and his feet shall stand in that day upon the mount of Olives, which [is] before Jerusalem on the east. And the mount of Olives shall cleave in the midst… And the LORD my God shall come, [and] all the saints with thee… All the land shall be turned as a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem:” (Zechariah 14:1, 4, 5, 10)
Answer: The New Jerusalem will settle where the mount of Olives now stands. The mountain will be flattened to make a great plain, upon which the city will come to rest. All of the righteous people of all ages (Zechariah 14:5), the angels of heaven (Matthew 25:31), God the Father (Revelation 21:2, 3),
and His beloved Son (Matthew 25:31) will return to the earth with the holy city for Jesus’ special third coming. The second coming will be for His saints, while the third will be with His saints.
11. What will happen to the wicked dead at this time? How will this affect Satan?
“But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. … And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the nations” (Revelation 20:5, 7, 8). 
Answer: At the close of the 1,000 years (when Jesus comes the third time), the wicked will be raised. Satan, loosed from his bonds, will then have an earth full of people (all the nations of the world) to deceive.
12. What will Satan do then?
“Satan shall… go out to deceive the nations … of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of the sea. And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city:” (Revelation 20:7-9)
Answer: Satan, true to his nature, will immediately begin lying to the people left on the earth—the wicked from all ages. He may claim that the city is really his, that he was unjustly deposed from the 
heavenly kingdom, that God is power hungry and ruthless. He will convince them that, if they unify, God does not have a chance. With the entire world against one city, victory will likely appear certain to them. The nations will then unite and marshal their armies to surround the New Jerusalem.
13. What will interrupt Satan’s plan to capture or destroy the city?
“Fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them. The devil, that deceiveth them, was cast into … the lake of fire and brimstone, which is the second death” (Revelation 20:9, 10; 21:8).
“And ye shall tread down the wicked; for they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet in the day that I shall do [this], saith the LORD of hosts.” (Malachi 4:3)
Answer: Fire will suddenly come down from heaven (not up from hell, as many believe) upon the wicked and all will be turned into ashes, including the devil and his angels (Matthew 25:41). This fire that destroys sin and sinners is called the second death. There is no resurrection from this death. It is final. Notice that the devil will not be tending the fire, as is commonly believed. He will be in it, and it will put him out of existence.
14. When the wicked are burned up and the fire goes out, what glorious, thrilling event will take place next?
“For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth” (Isaiah 65:17).
“Look for new heavens and a new earth wherein dwelleth righteousness” (2 Peter 3:13).
“And He that sat upon the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new’ ” (Revelation 21:5).
“The tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. And God Himself shall be with them and be their God” (Revelation 21:3).
Answer: God will create new heavens and a new earth, and the New Jerusalem will be the capital city of the earth made new. Sin and its ugliness will be gone forever. God’s people will at long last receive the kingdom promised to them. “They shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away” (Isaiah 35:10). It’s simply too fabulous to describe and too glorious to miss! God has a place prepared there for you (John 14:1–3). Plan to live in it. Jesus is waiting for your consent.
REVIEW THE EVENTS AT THE CLOSE OF THE 1,000 YEARS:
- Third coming of Jesus with His saints (Zechariah 14:5).
- Holy city settles on the Mount of Olives, which becomes a great plain (Zechariah 14:4, 10).
- The Father, His angels, and all of the righteous come with Jesus (Revelation 21:1–3; Matthew 25:31; Zechariah 14:5).
- The wicked dead are raised; Satan is loosed (Revelation 20:5, 7).
- Satan deceives the entire world (Revelation 20:8).
- The wicked surround the holy city (Revelation 20:9).
- The wicked are destroyed by fire (Revelation 20:9).
- New heavens and earth created (Isaiah 65:17; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 21:1).
- God’s people enjoy eternity with God on the new earth (Revelation 21:2–4).
15. Can we know how soon all these momentous events will take place?
“So likewise ye, when ye shall see all these things, know that it is near, [even] at the doors.” (Matthew 24:33)
“And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh.” (Luke 21:28)
“For he will finish the work, and cut [it] short in righteousness: because a short work will the Lord make upon the earth.” (Romans 9:28)
“For when they shall say, Peace and safety; then sudden destruction cometh upon them, as travail upon a woman with child; and they shall not escape.” (1 Thessalonians 5:3)
Answer: Jesus said when the signs of His coming are being fulfilled rapidly, as they are today, we should rejoice and know that the end of this world and of sin is near—even at the doors. And the apostle Paul said we can know the end is near when there is a great movement for peace in the world. Finally, the Bible says God will cut the work short (Romans 9:28). So without a doubt, we are living on borrowed time. The Lord will arrive suddenly and unexpectedly—at an hour known to no one, but to God the Father only (Matthew 24:36; Acts 1:7). Our only safety is to be ready now.
16. Jesus, who loves you very much, has prepared a place for you in His fantastic eternal kingdom. Are you making plans to live in that glorious home custom-built for you by Jesus Himself?
Answer:
THOUGHT QUESTIONS
1. How long will the time period be from the day the holy city descends until the wicked are destroyed by fire from heaven?
The Bible says it will be a “little while” (Revelation 20:3). Enough time will be required for Satan to persuade people to follow his plan and prepare weapons of war. The exact length of time is not revealed in Scripture.
2. What kind of bodies will people have in God’s new kingdom?
The Bible says the redeemed will have bodies like that of Jesus (Philippians 3:20, 21). Jesus had a real body of flesh and bones after His resurrection (Luke 24:36–43). The saved will not be ghosts. They will be real people, just as Adam and Eve had real bodies.
3. Does the Bible say how the lost will react at Jesus’ second coming?
Yes. The Bible says they will cry “to the mountains and rocks, ‘Fall on us and hide us from the face of Him that sitteth on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb! For the great day of His wrath has come, and who is able to stand?’ ” (Revelation 6:16, 17). (See also verses 14 and 15.) The righteous, on the other hand, will say, “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this [is] our God; we have waited for him, and he will save us: this [is] the LORD; we have waited for him, we will be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)
4. Will the wicked be able to see the righteous people who are inside the New Jerusalem?
We don’t know with certainty, but the Bible does say the city wall will be the see-through type—clear as crystal (Revelation 21:11, 18). Some believe that Psalm 37:34 and Luke 13:28 suggest the saved and the unsaved will be able to see each other.
5. The Bible says God will wipe away all tears from the eyes of His people and that there will be no more death, sorrow, or pain. When will this happen?
From Revelation 21:1–4 and Isaiah 65:17, it appears that this will happen after sin is cleansed from the earth. During the final judgment and destruction of sin by fire, God’s people will have many reasons for deep sorrow. As they realize that relatives and friends are lost and that people they loved are being destroyed in the fire, anguish will doubtless bring tears and heartache to God’s people. But after the fire goes out, the Lord will wipe away their tears. He will then create new heavens and a new earth for His people, which will bring them unspeakable joy and fulfillment. And sorrow, sadness, crying, and heartache will be forever gone.
6. How will the destruction of wicked angels and people affect God the Father and His Son?
Doubtless they will be relieved and overjoyed that the ugly cancer of sin is gone forever and that the universe is forever secure. But just as certain, they will also experience deep sadness over the fact that so many of those they love—and for whom Jesus died—chose to cling to sin and reject salvation. Satan himself was once their friend, and many people in the fire were once their dearly beloved children. It will be like the agony of seeing one of your own errant children killed. Sin has been a crushing load upon both Father and Son since its inception. Their aim has been to love people and gently draw them to salvation. Their feelings are expressed in Hosea 11:8, which says, “How shall I give thee up, Ephraim? how shall I deliver thee, Israel?…mine heart is turned within me, my repentings are kindled together.” (Hosea 11:8)
7. What kind of body does Jesus have?
He has a body of flesh and bones. After His resurrection, Jesus appeared to His disciples (Luke 24:36–43) and demonstrated that He was flesh and bones by having them feel His body and by eating some fish and honey.
Jesus Ascends
He then walked with them to Bethany and, as He finished conversing with them, ascended to heaven (Luke 24:50, 51). The angel who appeared to the disciples as Jesus ascended explained, “This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven” (Acts 1:11).
This Same Jesus Will Return
The angel’s emphasis was that this same Jesus (of flesh and bones) will come again. He will be real, not ghostly, and the risen saints will have bodies like His (Philippians 3:20, 21; 1 John 3:2). The saints’ new bodies will also be incorruptible and immortal (1 Corinthians 15:51–55).
QUIZ QUESTIONS
1. Mark the events that will take place at the beginning of the 1,000 years of Revelation chapter 20: (10)
_____ Second coming of Jesus.
_____ Earthquake and hailstorm.
_____ Righteous dead raised.
_____ Satan bound.
_____ Living wicked slain.
_____ Righteous given immortality.
_____ Holy city descends.
_____ Righteous taken to heaven.
_____ Wicked in graves remain dead.
_____ Righteous given bodies like Jesus.
_____ Righteous caught up into the clouds.
_____ Some saved will be left on the earth
2. Every living person on earth will see Jesus at His second coming. (1)
_____ True.
_____ False.
3. The righteous will have ghost-like bodies in heaven. (1)
_____ True.
_____ False.
4. Which of the following items are true about the 1,000-year period? (2)
_____ Many sinners will be converted.
_____ Satan and his angels will be forced to stay on the earth.
_____ Satan will be bound by the fact that there is no television to watch.
_____ It will be bright and sunny on earth during the 1,000 years.
_____ Satan will raise the wicked dead to life to keep him company.
_____ The righteous will be in heaven, participating in the judgment.
5. Which of the following are true regarding the events at the close of the 1,000-year period? (3)
_____ Christ will come for a fifth time.
_____ The holy city will land in the Washington, D.C., area.
_____ The good angels, God the Father, and the saints will come with Jesus.
_____ The wicked will be raised.
_____ God will decide not to raise the wicked after all.
_____ The wicked will be destroyed by angry evil angels.
_____ God will create new heavens and a new earth.
_____ God will banish Satan to the outer reaches of the universe.
_____ The devil will wipe out the holy city with a powerful new missile.
6. The chain that binds Satan will (3)
_____ Be symbolic–a chain of circumstances.
_____ Force him to stay on the earth.
_____ Be made of a new, very hard metal.
_____ Be broken by the devil within 24 hours.
_____ Keep him from tempting God’s people, who will be safe in heaven.
7. Which statements are true of the bottomless pit? (2)
_____ It is a vast hole deep inside the earth.
_____ It means abyss.
_____ It refers to the earth–dark and without form and void.
_____ It is another name for hell.
8. Which items are true about the first, second, and third comings of Jesus? (3)
_____ First coming was to Bethlehem as a baby.
_____ First coming was in Noah’s day.
_____ Second coming was in Martin Luther’s day.
_____ Second coming will be at the beginning of the 1,000 years.
_____ Third coming will be at the end of the 1,000 years.
_____ Third coming takes place after the new earth is created.
9. The death the wicked die in the lake of fire is the second death. (1)
_____ True.
_____ False.
10. I am definitely planning to live in the fantastic custom-built home that Jesus is preparing for me in heaven.
_____ Yes.
_____ No
