1. The Antichrist and the False Prophet
   
   The Antichrist ("the lawless one" - see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part One) will be killed at the Second Coming:

   "And then shall be revealed the lawless one, whom the Lord Jesus shall slay with the breath of his mouth, and bring to nought by the manifestation of his coming" (2 Thessalonians 2:8 ASV)

   My article called The Second Coming explains that at the Second Coming, Jesus will return directly to southern Jordan (called "Bozrah in Edom" in the Bible), not to the Mount of Olives as is commonly taught, and He will kill the Antichrist, the False Prophet, and the armies of the Antichrist.
   
   Shortly after the Second Coming, the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be resurrected and will be cast alive into the lake of fire:

   "Then I saw the beast [the Antichrist - see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part One] and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to make war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured and with him the false prophet who had performed the miraculous signs on his behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped his image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur." (Revelation 19:19-20)

   In the above passage, the Greek word translated as "captured" is the same word that's used for catching (i.e., killing) fish in John 21:3 and 21:10 (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, piazo), and this agrees with other passages which say that the Antichrist and his followers will be killed at the Second Coming (as described in detail in my article called The Second Coming).
   
   Just as Christ was the "firstfruits" of the righteous who will be raised from the dead (1 Corinthians 15:20-23), the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be the "firstfruits" of the unrighteous who will be raised from the dead because after being killed they will be thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur (Revelation 19:19-20, above).

2. The devil will be bound and locked in the Abyss
   
   Before the Millennium begins, the devil will be bound and locked in the "Abyss" for the duration of the Millennium:

   "And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. 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." (Revelation 20:1-3)

   This passage says that the devil will be locked in the Abyss before the Millennium begins, and he will be released when the thousand years are over. Without their leader, the demons will presumably be inactive during the Millennium (or perhaps they will be locked in the Abyss as well) because we're going to see that the Millennium will be a time of unprecedented peace and prosperity.

3. The judgment of the Gentiles
   
   After the Second Coming, Jesus will separate the surviving Gentiles (non-Jews) into two groups. The Gentiles who received salvation during the seven-year Tribulation are referred to as "the sheep," and they will enter into the Millennial kingdom (when Jesus reigns on earth for 1,000 years). The Gentiles who did not receive salvation during the Tribulation are referred to as "the goats," and they will immediately be killed:

   "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life." (Matthew 25:31-46)
   
   "Proclaim this among the nations: Prepare for war! Rouse the warriors! Let all the fighting men draw near and attack. Beat your plowshares into swords and your pruning hooks into spears. Let the weakling say, 'I am strong!' Come quickly, all you nations from every side, and assemble there. Bring down your warriors, O LORD! 'Let the nations be roused; let them advance into the Valley of Jehoshaphat, for there I will sit to judge all the nations on every side. Swing the sickle, for the harvest is ripe. Come, trample the grapes, for the winepress is full and the vats overflow - so great is their wickedness! Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision! For the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision. The sun and moon will be darkened, and the stars no longer shine. The LORD will roar from Zion and thunder from Jerusalem; the earth and the sky will tremble. But the LORD will be a refuge for his people, a stronghold for the people of Israel." (Joel 3:9-16)
   
   "Still another angel, who had charge of the fire, came from the altar and called in a loud voice to him who had the sharp sickle, "Take your sharp sickle and gather the clusters of grapes from the earth's vine, because its grapes are ripe." The angel swung his sickle on the earth, gathered its grapes and threw them into the great winepress of God's wrath. They were trampled in the winepress outside the city [in the Valley of Jehoshaphat as in the above passage], and blood flowed out of the press, rising as high as the horses' bridles for a distance of 1,600 stadia." (Revelation 14:18-20)

   Matthew 25:31-46 (above) is discussed in my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Eight. Jesus said that "the nations" will be gathered before Him after the Second Coming, and to the Jews, a reference to "nations" (plural) specifically means the Gentile nations rather than the single nation of Israel. At this point, all unsaved Gentile (non-Jewish) survivors of the seven-year Tribulation period will be killed, and the rest of the surviving Gentiles plus all surviving Jews will enter into Jesus' thousand-year kingdom on earth.

4. The final regathering of the Jews back to Israel
   
   As my article called The Second Coming shows, every Jewish person on earth will receive salvation during the final three days before the Second Coming, so they will all enter into Jesus' thousand-year kingdom on earth.
   
   In the Old Testament, in the context of the Millennial kingdom (Jesus' thousand-year reign on earth), God had said that His "elect" will be gathered back to the land of Israel:

   ""I will bring forth descendants from Jacob, And from Judah an heir of My mountains; My elect shall inherit it, And My servants shall dwell there. Sharon shall be a fold of flocks, And the Valley of Achor a place for herds to lie down, For My people who have sought Me...For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former shall not be remembered or come to mind. But be glad and rejoice forever in what I create; For behold, I create Jerusalem as a rejoicing, And her people a joy. I will rejoice in Jerusalem, And joy in My people; The voice of weeping shall no longer be heard in her, Nor the voice of crying. No more shall an infant from there live but a few days, Nor an old man who has not fulfilled his days; For the child shall die one hundred years old, But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed. 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 as the days of a tree, so shall be the days of My people, And My elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands. They shall not labor in vain, Nor bring forth children for trouble; For they shall be the descendants of the blessed of the LORD, And their offspring with them. It shall come to pass That before they call, I will answer; And while they are still speaking, I will hear. The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, The lion shall eat straw like the ox, And dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain," Says the LORD." (Isaiah 65:9-10, 17-25 NKJV)
   
   "In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one. And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 27:12-13)

   As we'll see later, the context of the above passages is referring to the Jews being gathered back to Israel (with the sound of a great trumpet) after the Second Coming in order to enter into the Millennial kingdom, where they will worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem. This is what Jesus was referring to when He said that the "elect" will be gathered with a loud trumpet call after the Second Coming:

   "Immediately after the distress of those days 'the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light; the stars will fall from the sky, and the heavenly bodies will be shaken.' At that time the sign of the Son of Man will appear in the sky, and all the nations of the earth will mourn. They will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds of the sky, with power and great glory. And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other." (Matthew 24:29-31)

   My article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Four shows why Matthew 24:29-31 (above) is not talking about the Rapture of the Church (as many people assume). It's talking about the final regathering of the Jews from around the world back to Israel after the Second Coming.

5. The resurrection of the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation martyrs
   
   When the Millennium begins there will be five groups of saints (the word "saint" in the Bible essentially refers to a holy or righteous person, including all Christians as in 1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV and Philippians 1:1 NKJV - Easton's Bible Dictionary ):

   1. The Old Testament saints (all of the righteous people who died before Jesus' death and resurrection).

   2. The Church Age Christians (everyone who received salvation between the cross and the pre-tribulational Rapture).

   3. The Tribulation martyrs (everyone who received salvation and died during the seven-year Tribulation).

   4. The Jewish Tribulation survivors (every Jew who survived the seven-year Tribulation, because they will all receive salvation just before the Second Coming - see my article called The Second Coming).

   5. The Gentile (non-Jewish) Tribulation survivors (every Gentile who survived the seven-year Tribulation as well as the judgment that we saw a moment ago in the section called "The judgment of the Gentiles").

   
   All of the saints who survived the Tribulation will still be alive when the Millennium begins, and therefore they will not need to be resurrected. The Church Age Christians will be in heaven in their resurrected, glorified, immortal bodies during the seven-year Tribulation period because Jesus will rapture them before the Tribulation begins (see my series called The Rapture of the Church).
   
   So at the time of the Second Coming, the dead Old Testament saints and the dead Tribulation saints will be the only righteous people who have not yet been resurrected. They will be resurrected after the Second Coming and shortly before the Millennium begins:

   "At that time Michael, the great prince who protects your people, will arise. There will be a time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then. But at that time your people - everyone whose name is found written in the book - will be delivered. Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt." (Daniel 12:1-2)
   
   "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 for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part 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." (Revelation 20:4-6)

   Daniel 12:1-2 (above) mentions a "time of distress such as has not happened from the beginning of nations until then" (referring to the seven-year Tribulation period - see my series called The Rapture of the Church), followed by dead people being resurrected. Some of them will be resurrected to everlasting life (all of the righteous people), and others to shame and everlasting contempt (all of the unrighteous people). Revelation 20:4-6 (above) says that the righteous people who were killed during the Tribulation (i.e., when the Antichrist is in power) will be resurrected before the Millennium begins, and the rest of the dead (the unrighteous people) will be resurrected after the Millennium is over.
   
   After describing the resurrection of the Tribulation martyrs, Revelation 20:4-6 (above) refers to it as "the first resurrection." But that's not really the very first resurrection because Jesus was the first resurrection:

   "But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him." (1 Corinthians 15:20-23)

   The above passage says that Christ was the "firstfruits" of those who will be resurrected from the dead, and it says that everyone else will be resurrected "each in his own turn." After Christ, the next resurrection will take place at the pre-trib Rapture (see my series called The Rapture of the Church), when those who died in Christ will come back to life (1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Next will come the resurrection of the "Two Witnesses," which will take place several years after the pre-trib Rapture (Revelation 11:3-12). Finally, there will be the resurrection of the Old Testament saints (Daniel 12:1-2) and the resurrection of the Tribulation martyrs (Revelation 20:4-6), which will happen shortly after the Second Coming as we saw above.
   
   These resurrections will take place "each in his own turn," just as the above passage says. Revelation 20:4-6 (above) does not describe the very first resurrection, but instead it describes the completion of the first resurrection. The first resurrection is the resurrection of the righteous that will take place in stages, and the second resurrection is the resurrection of the unrighteous that will also take place in stages because we saw that the Antichrist and the False Prophet will be resurrected and cast into the lake of fire 1,000 years before the rest of the unrighteous will be resurrected and cast into the lake of fire.
   
   So shortly after the Second Coming, all of the righteous people throughout history will have been resurrected into their glorified, immortal bodies and will be alive again on earth.

6. The "abomination that causes desolation"
   
   The Antichrist will sign a seven-year treaty or contract agreement of some kind with Israel, which is the event that begins the seven-year Tribulation (see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Two). However, at the mid-point of that seven-year period he will break the treaty or contract agreement and desecrate the Jewish temple (as that article describes):

   "He [the Antichrist] will confirm a covenant with many for one 'seven.' In the middle of the 'seven' he will put an end to sacrifice and offering. And on a wing of the temple he will set up an abomination that causes desolation, until the end that is decreed is poured out on him." (Daniel 9:27)

   After breaking this treaty or contract agreement, the Antichrist will rule most of the world for the final three and a half years of the Tribulation until he's killed at the Second Coming (see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Two). As the above passage says, the Antichrist will desecrate the Jewish temple by setting up an "abomination" in the temple (e.g., Revelation 13:14-15, 14:9-11, 15:2, 16:2, 19:20, 20:4). This "abomination" will be set up at the mid-point of the seven-year Tribulation (Daniel 9:27, above), and it will remain in the Jewish temple during the entire global domination of the Antichrist, which will last for 1,260 days:

   "I was given a reed like a measuring rod and was told, "Go and measure the temple of God and the altar, and count the worshipers there. But exclude the outer court; do not measure it, because it has been given to the Gentiles [the Antichrist and his armies]. They will trample on the holy city for 42 months [the final three and a half years of the Tribulation]."" (Revelation 11:1-2)
   
   "She [the nation of Israel - see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part One] gave birth to a son, a male child [Jesus], who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne. The woman fled into the desert to a place prepared for her by God [to Bozrah - see my article called The Second Coming], where she might be taken care of for 1,260 days [the final three and a half years of the Tribulation]." (Revelation 12:5-6)
   
   "The beast [the Antichrist] was given a mouth to utter proud words and blasphemies and to exercise his authority for forty-two months [the final three and a half years of the Tribulation]." (Revelation 13:5)

   All of the above passages are thoroughly examined in my series called The Rapture of the Church, and they tell us that the Antichrist will rule most of the world for 1,260 days, which will be the last half of the seven-year Tribulation. At the end of those 1,260 days, Jesus will return and will kill the Antichrist and his armies as we've seen. However, it appears that the "abomination that causes desolation" will remain in the temple for another 30 days after the Second Coming:

   "From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days." (Daniel 12:11)

   Comparing the above prophetic passages, we can see that this "abomination" will be set up in the Jewish temple 1,260 days before the Second Coming. Daniel 12:11 (above) implies that the temple will be desecrated for 1,290 days because the only things mentioned in the context of the 1,290 days are the abolishing of the daily sacrifice and the "abomination" that desecrates the temple. Therefore, it appears that this "abomination" will remain in the temple for another 30 days after the Second Coming.

7. The restoration of all things
   
   As Part Seven of my series on the Rapture describes, Jesus will remain in heaven until the time comes for God to "restore" everything:

   "He [Jesus] must remain in heaven until the time comes for God to restore everything, as he promised long ago through his holy prophets." (Acts 3:21)

   So God will "restore everything," but what does this mean?
   
   First, recall that after Adam and Eve sinned, God cursed the ground and all of creation:

   "To Adam he said, "Because you listened to your wife and ate from the tree about which I commanded you, 'You must not eat of it,' Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat of it all the days of your life. It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field." (Genesis 3:17-18)

   All of creation is still cursed to this day, but Romans 8:18-23 says that this curse will someday be removed:

   "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies." (Romans 8:18-23)

   Here are some things that Bible commentaries say about "the restoration of all things":

   "restitution of all things - comprehending, probably, the rectification of all the disorders of the fall." (Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Acts 3:21, emphasis added)
   
   "as the grace of the Gospel was intended to destroy the reign of sin, its energetic influence is represented as restoring all things, destroying the bad state, and establishing the good - taking the kingdom out of the hands of sin and Satan, and putting it into those of righteousness and truth." (Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible, Acts 3:21, emphasis added)

   As these and other Bible commentaries describe, "the restoration of all things" in Acts 3:21 (above) includes the removal of the curse that God had placed on all of creation as a result of the Fall.
   
   Here's an interesting effect of this restoration. As the following passages show, we're told that all humans and animals were plant-eaters until after the Flood:

   [before the Fall] "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them...Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground - everything that has the breath of life in it - I give every green plant for food." And it was so." (Genesis 1:27-30)
   
   [after the Flood in Noah's time] "Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth. The fear and dread of you will fall upon all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air, upon every creature that moves along the ground, and upon all the fish of the sea; they are given into your hands. Everything that lives and moves will be food for you. Just as I gave you the green plants, I now give you everything."" (Genesis 9:1-3)

   So before the Fall, we're told that all creatures on earth were plant-eaters. Notice that someday they will be restored to being plant-eaters:

   "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 hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:6-9)

   God cursed all of creation after the Fall, but someday He will remove that curse and He will restore nature to its pre-Fall condition.

"From the time that the daily sacrifice is abolished and the abomination that causes desolation is set up, there will be 1,290 days. Blessed is the one who waits for and reaches the end of the 1,335 days." (Daniel 12:11-12)

1. The Immortals
   
   Notice that all Christians will reign under Jesus during the Millennium:

   "If any of you has a dispute with another, dare he take it before the ungodly for judgment instead of before the saints? Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? And if you are to judge the world, are you not competent to judge trivial cases? Do you not know that we will judge angels? How much more the things of this life!" (1 Corinthians 6:1-3)
   
   "Here is a trustworthy saying: If we died with him, we will also live with him; if we endure, we will also reign with him. If we disown him, he will also disown us" (2 Timothy 2:11-12)
   
   "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 for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4)
   
   "Blessed and holy are those who have part 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." (Revelation 20:6)

   So the Christians who were raptured will reign on earth under Jesus for 1,000 years, along with the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation martyrs. Our individual positions of authority in the Millennial kingdom will be determined by our earthly works of faith and obedience (see my article called The Rapture of the Church - Part Seven). If we're not trying to be fully obedient to God in this life, we're jeopardizing our future in heaven and beyond.
   
   What will life in the Millennium be like for us? If you're a Church Age Christian then your physical body will be made immortal at the Rapture before the seven-year Tribulation begins (it doesn't matter if you're alive or dead at the Rapture):

   "Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed - in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality." (1 Corinthians 15:51-53)
   
   "But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body." (Philippians 3:20-21)
   
   "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2)

   So if you're a Christian then you'll receive your glorified, immortal body at the Rapture (before the seven-year Tribulation begins). You'll then return to the earth with Jesus at the Second Coming (see my article called The Second Coming), and you'll reign under Him during the Millennium. If you receive salvation during the Tribulation but you don't survive until the Second Coming, then you'll receive your immortal body along with the rest of the Tribulation martyrs shortly before the Millennium begins as we saw earlier.
   
   The above passages tell us that our mortal bodies will be transformed to be like Jesus' glorified body. The disciples recognized Jesus after His resurrection (John 20:19-28), which means that He had the same appearance in His glorified body that He had before His death and resurrection. Therefore, we will most likely be recognizable to each other as well, and be able to do normal things with our bodies such as walking, talking, and so on, just as Jesus did. Jesus ate and drank after His resurrection (Luke 24:36-43, Acts 1:3-4, Matthew 26:27-29), so perhaps we will too. Jesus was able to appear and disappear (John 20:19, 20:26, Luke 24:30-31), so perhaps we'll be able to appear and disappear at will as well. Jesus said that there will be no marriages after we're resurrected (Mark 12:25), and He said that we'll be like the angels (Mark 12:25). Angels are able to appear and disappear, and they apparently are able to travel invisibly (or perhaps instantaneously), and they can fly in midair (Luke 2:7-15, Revelation 14:6). Since Jesus said that we'll be like the angels, it's possible that in our glorified, immortal bodies we'll be able to travel as the angels do.

2. Government during the Millennium
   
   The Millennial kingdom will not be a democracy, but instead it will be a theocracy. This means that it will be ruled by God in the physical Person of Jesus Christ, who will sit on the throne of David:

   "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 increase 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." (Isaiah 9:6-7)
   
   "But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name 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 the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."" (Luke 1:30-33)
   
   "A day of the LORD is coming, Jerusalem, when your possessions will be plundered and divided up within your very walls...On that day [the day of the Lord] his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south. You will flee by my mountain valley, for it will extend to Azel. You will flee as you fled from the earthquake in the days of Uzziah king of Judah. Then the LORD my God will come, and all the holy ones with him. On that day there will be no light, no cold or frost. It will be a unique day, without daytime or nighttime - a day known to the LORD. When evening comes, there will be light. On that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half to the eastern sea and half to the western sea, in summer and in winter. The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name." (Zechariah 14:1-9)

   Jesus will be the King over the Immortals (the Old Testament saints, the Church Age Christians, and the Tribulation martyrs, all of whom will be resurrected and will be made immortal before the Millennium begins), and He will be the King over the mortals who survived the Tribulation. These mortals will all be saved through faith in Jesus (see my article called The Second Coming), but they will have children who will need to become saved. Even though the devil (and probably all of his demons) will be locked in the Abyss during the Millennium as we saw earlier, people will still sin. Therefore, Christ will rule the world in righteousness but with a rod of iron (sometimes translated as "an iron scepter"):

   "She [the nation of Israel as we have seen] gave birth to a son, a male child, who will rule all the nations with an iron scepter. And her child was snatched up to God and to his throne." (Revelation 12:5)
   
   "Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS." (Revelation 19:15-16)
   
   "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 power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the 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." (Isaiah 11:1-5)

   Jesus will be the King over all the earth, and it appears that the resurrected King David will rule over Israel:

   "How awful that day will be! None will be like it. It will be a time of trouble for Jacob, but he will be saved out of it. 'In that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will break the yoke off their necks and will tear off their bonds; no longer will foreigners enslave them. Instead, they will serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.'" (Jeremiah 30:7-9)
   
   "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." (Ezekiel 34:23-24)
   
   "I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 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. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever." (Ezekiel 37:22-25)
   
   "For the Israelites will live many days without king or prince, without sacrifice or sacred stones, without ephod or idol. 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 3:4-5)

   The above passages are talking about the future Millennial kingdom, and they were all written hundreds of years after David died. These passages say that the resurrected David will be the king over Israel, and he will be a prince under the true King, Jesus.
   
   Some Bible commentaries assume that "David" in the above passages refers to Jesus. But notice that the above passages say that the Jews will serve the LORD and David their king. They will follow Jesus' laws and decrees, and David will be their king and prince. They will come trembling to the LORD and David their king. My article called Understanding Jesus - Part One shows that when the word "LORD" is fully capitalized in the Old Testament it's a translation of the Hebrew word for Jehovah, and it also shows that Jesus was Jehovah God even while He was a human on the earth. So the LORD in the above passages is Jesus (a moment ago we saw that "The LORD will be king over the whole earth" in Zechariah 14:1-9, which can only be Jesus). For example, Ezekiel 37:22-25 (above) says that "They will follow my laws and be careful to keep my decrees." The word "my" refers to Jesus because we're told that during the Millennium, from Jerusalem Jesus will send out the law, or instruction about His ways, or laws and decrees, or the word of the LORD, as in the following passages ("Zion" refers to Jerusalem as in Zephaniah 3:16):

   "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 chief among the mountains; it will be raised 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 house 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." (Isaiah 2:1-4)
   
   "The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD. Joy and gladness will be found in her, thanksgiving and the sound of singing. "Listen to me, my people; hear me, my nation: Instruction will go out from me; my justice will become a light to the nations. My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way, and my arm will bring justice to the nations. The islands will look to me and wait in hope for my arm. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail."" (Isaiah 51:3-6)
   
   "I will make them one nation in the land, on the mountains of Israel. There will be one king over all of them and they will never again be two nations or be divided into two kingdoms. They will no longer defile themselves with their idols and vile images or with any of their offenses, for I will save them from all their sinful backsliding, and I will cleanse them. They will be my people, and I will be their God. 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. They will live in the land I gave to my servant Jacob, the land where your fathers lived. They and their children and their children's children will live there forever, and David my servant will be their prince forever." (Ezekiel 37:22-25)
   
   "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised 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 house 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. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken." (Micah 4:1-4)

   Again, "the LORD" in all of the above passages is Jesus, and "David" is the resurrected King David. This should not be difficult for us to believe since we've seen that all of the dead righteous people throughout history will be resurrected before the Millennium begins.
   
   We can confirm even further that "David" in the above passages does not refer to Jesus. In Ezekiel 37:22-25 (above) we see that "David my servant will be their prince forever," then in Ezekiel 38:2-3 and 39:1 we see the "chief prince of Meshek and Tubal" (who is unrighteous because in each place God said "I am against you"), and then in Ezekiel 44 and 45 we see a righteous person who is referred to as "the prince." We're never told who this prince is, but Bible commentaries tend to say that it refers back to the most recent righteous "prince" to be mentioned, which was King David in Ezekiel 37:22-25 (above). In Ezekiel 45:22 we're told that "the prince" must provide a bull as a sin offering for himself. Jesus does not need to make a sin offering for Himself because He has no sin in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15, 7:26, 1 John 3:5). Therefore, "David" ("the prince") in all of the above passages cannot be referring to Jesus as some people claim.
   
   So King David will rule over all of Israel, but the 12 apostles will apparently rule over each of the 12 tribes of Israel:

   "Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?" Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, 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 19:27-28)
   
   "And I confer on you a kingdom, just as my Father conferred one on me, so that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel." (Luke 22:29-30)

   In addition to "the prince" (King David) and the 12 apostles on their thrones, there will also be other thrones, princes, rulers, judges, and counselors:

   "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 for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who have part 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." (Revelation 20:4-6)
   
   "The prince will have the land bordering each side of the area formed by the sacred district and the property of the city. It will extend westward from the west side and eastward from the east side, running lengthwise from the western to the eastern border parallel to one of the tribal portions. This land will be his possession in Israel. And my princes will no longer oppress my people but will allow the house of Israel to possess the land according to their tribes." (Ezekiel 45:7-8)
   
   "Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares: "Ah, I will get relief from my foes and avenge myself on my enemies. I will turn my hand against you; I will thoroughly purge away your dross and remove all your impurities. I will restore your judges as in days of old, your counselors as at the beginning. Afterward you will be called the City of Righteousness, the Faithful City." Zion will be redeemed with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness." (Isaiah 1:24-27)

   My article called Covenants, Dispensations, and the Ten Commandments - Part One shows that Jesus is qualified to sit on King David's throne as the rightful King, and some of the above passages (as well as Matthew 19:27-28 and Luke 22:29-30, above) say that there will be thrones in the Millennial kingdom for people who will rule beneath Jesus. As my article called The Second Coming shows, it's important to try to be thorough and see the full picture in the Bible for each doctrine or topic because different Old Testament prophets were shown different pieces of the prophetic puzzle, and they didn't have enough information to discern when there were large gaps of time between prophetic events or even what the sequence of events will be. Under the Old Covenant, the Jews were the chosen people of God, and the Holy Spirit showed certain people that the Messiah will sit on David's throne ruling the Jews forever (see the above passages). The Davidic throne in those passages refers to the right and authority to rule as king, but what those people weren't shown was that when the Messiah sits on the Davidic throne, He will be ruling over the entire world. We've seen that the resurrected David will be a king ruling beneath Jesus and that Jesus will sit on the Davidic throne in the Millennial kingdom, so David will have a new and different throne.
   
   As we'll see later, Ezekiel 45:7-8 (above) is in a long section (nine chapters) in the book of Ezekiel that provides extensive, detailed descriptions of the Millennial temple and its surrounding buildings. In context, "the prince" is the resurrected King David as we've seen, and there will be other princes ruling in righteousness under King David. Isaiah 1:24-27 (above) tells us that when the Lord avenges Himself on His enemies (at the Second Coming), He will then restore judges and counselors to Israel. These princes, judges, and counselors will possibly include Old Testament saints, such as the resurrected Zerubbabel:

   "'Tell Zerubbabel governor of Judah that I will shake the heavens and the earth. I will overturn royal thrones and shatter the power of the foreign kingdoms. I will overthrow chariots and their drivers; horses and their riders will fall, each by the sword of his brother. On that day,' declares the LORD Almighty, 'I will take you, my servant Zerubbabel son of Shealtiel,' declares the LORD, 'and I will make you like my signet ring, for I have chosen you,' declares the LORD Almighty." (Haggai 2:21-23)

   The above passage says that at the time when the Lord shakes the heavens and the earth and totally shatters the power of the armies of the nations (which has never happened before, but will happen after the Second Coming), He will exalt the resurrected Zerubbabel as a "signet ring" (a kingly symbol of power and authority).
   
   So King David will rule over all of Israel, and the 12 apostles will be the next level in the Jewish government, and beneath them will be princes, rulers, judges, and counselors (which will possibly be made up of the immortal Old Testament saints such as Zerubbabel).
   
   Earlier we saw that the Church Age Christians and the Tribulation martyrs will reign under Jesus, and we've seen that Israel will be ruled by King David, the 12 apostles, and the Old Testament saints. Therefore, it seems likely that the Gentile (non-Jewish) nations will be ruled by the New Testament saints. Again, the word "saint" in the Bible essentially refers to a holy or righteous person, including all Christians as in 1 Corinthians 14:33 NKJV and Philippians 1:1 NKJV (Easton's Bible Dictionary ).
   
   Also, the Gentile nations will become servants of Israel:

   "This is what the LORD Almighty says: "In those days ten men from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, 'Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you.'"" (Zechariah 8:23)
   
   "The LORD will have compassion on Jacob; once again he will choose Israel and will settle them in their own land. Aliens will join them and unite with the house of Jacob. Nations will take them and bring them to their own place. And the house of Israel will possess the nations as menservants and maidservants in the Lord's land. They will make captives of their captors and rule over their oppressors." (Isaiah 14:1-2)
   
   "This is what the Sovereign LORD says: "See, I will beckon to the Gentiles, I will lift up my banner to the peoples; they will bring your sons in their arms and carry your daughters on their shoulders. Kings will be your foster fathers, and their queens your nursing mothers. They will bow down before you with their faces to the ground; they will lick the dust at your feet. Then you will know that I am the LORD; those who hope in me will not be disappointed."" (Isaiah 49:22-23)
   
   "They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast. Instead of their shame my people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace they will rejoice in their inheritance; and so they will inherit a double portion in their land, and everlasting joy will be theirs. For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and iniquity. In my faithfulness I will reward them and make an everlasting covenant with them. Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed." (Isaiah 61:4-9)
   
   ""At that time I will gather you; at that time I will bring you home. I will give you honor and praise among all the peoples of the earth when I restore your fortunes before your very eyes," says the LORD." (Zephaniah 3:20)

   To the Jews, a reference to "nations" (plural) specifically means the Gentile nations rather than the single nation of Israel. In context, the above passages tell us that Israel will be honored above all nations in the Millennial kingdom, which means that the distinction between Jews and Gentiles (non-Jews) will be maintained throughout the Millennium. Later we'll see that this distinction will be maintained throughout eternity.
   
   Now we have an idea of how the Millennial kingdom will be governed. For a more detailed description of life and government in the Millennium, one good resource is The Footsteps of the Messiah by Dr. Arnold Fruchtenbaum.

3. Righteousness, peace, security, and prosperity during the Millennium
   
   The Bible says that the Millennium will be a time of unprecedented peace, security, and prosperity. For example, when the resurrected King David is ruling over Israel, there will be no more wild beasts and there will be an abundance in the land:

   "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 wild beasts so that they may live in the desert and sleep in the forests in safety. I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. The trees of the field 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 house of Israel, are my people, declares the Sovereign LORD." (Ezekiel 34:23-30)

   The book of Ezekiel was written long after King David died, yet the above passage says that God will place David over Israel in a time of unprecedented peace, security, and prosperity. During the Millennium, the Jewish people will be secure in their land, and they will be free from attacks by the Gentile nations, and their land will be renowned for its crops, and there will be no more wild beasts, and so on. As we saw earlier, all animals will be harmless plant-eaters after God restores nature to its pre-Fall condition.
   
   In fact, during the Millennium (when Jesus is physically living in Jerusalem), people will neither learn about nor train for war:

   "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised 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 house 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." (Isaiah 2:2-4)

   As we'll see in a moment, it appears that the Millennial city of Jerusalem will be situated on top of a new mountain that will be raised far above all other mountains. This is where Jesus will live and where He will dispense His judgments. During this time (until near the end of the Millennium), people will no longer train for war, and nations will not go to war against each other.
   
   With all of this security, peace, and prosperity, people's lifespans will be greatly increased (just like before the Flood when people lived into their 900's - Genesis 5:5-31):

   "I will rejoice over Jerusalem and take delight in my people; the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more. Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails [hata] to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat. For as the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people; my chosen ones will long enjoy the works of their hands. They will not toil in vain or bear children doomed to misfortune; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD, they and their descendants with them. Before they call I will answer; while they are still speaking I will hear. The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but dust will be the serpent's food. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain," says the LORD." (Isaiah 65:19-25)

   So during the Millennium there will be unprecedented peace, security, prosperity, and safety (when even the wild animals are tame and harmless), and people's lifespans will dramatically increase. The above passage tells us that a person who reaches 100 years old will be considered to be a mere youth, and that there will not be any infant deaths. In the above passage, the Hebrew word hata means:

   "to miss the mark, to wrong, to sin, to lead into sin, to purify from sin, to free from sin. Four main Hebrew words express the idea of sin in the Hebrew Bible, with this word used most often." (The Complete Word Study Dictionary of the Old and New Testaments, Dr. Spiros Zodhiates, hata, emphasis added)

   The above quote says that this Hebrew word is the one that's most often used for sin in the Bible, so a number of Bible translations (KJV, NKJV, ASV, YLT, and others) have something like "But the sinner being one hundred years old shall be accursed" in Isaiah 65:20 (above). This tells us that if people who are born during the Millennium have not received salvation through faith in Jesus by their 100th birthday then they will be cursed by God, meaning that they will die (e.g., Psalm 37:22). For everyone who receives salvation, 100 years old will be considered to be mere childhood, and they will live out their years until the end of the Millennium. There's never any mention in the Bible of a resurrection from the dead for righteous people after the Millennium because the resurrection of the righteous (the "first" resurrection) ended just after the Second Coming as we saw earlier. This seems to indicate that all mortal Christians will survive until the end of the thousand years, which means that death during the Millennium will only happen for unbelievers, and it means that no unbelievers will live past their 100th birthday. In addition, it appears that death during the Millennium will only exist for the Gentiles, not for the Jews:

   ""The time is coming," declares the LORD, "when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah. It will not be like the covenant I made with their forefathers when I took them by the hand to lead them out of Egypt, because they broke my covenant, though I was a husband to them," declares the LORD. "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."" (Jeremiah 31:31-34)

   In the above passage, Jeremiah prophesied that God will make a new covenant with Israel and Judah, which will not be like the covenant He made with Moses (the Old Covenant). This is the New Covenant, which was specifically meant for Israel and Judah, but during the Church Age God has allowed Gentiles to be "grafted in" (Romans 11). The above prophecy says that God will put His laws into the minds and hearts of the Jews, and they will all know Him, from the least of them to the greatest. This has never happened before, so the fulfillment of the New Covenant will take place in the Millennial kingdom. We saw that death during the Millennium will only exist for unbelievers, and God said that He will cause all Jews to know Him. Therefore, only the Gentiles will be able to be unbelievers, which means that death will exist only for Gentiles during the thousand years, not for Jews.

4. The Millennial Jerusalem
   
   At the end of the seven-year Tribulation, the earth will go through some cataclysmic changes:

   "The seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and out of the temple came a loud voice from the throne, saying, "It is done!" Then there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder and a severe earthquake. No earthquake like it has ever occurred since man has been on earth, so tremendous was the quake. The great city split into three parts, and the cities of the nations collapsed. God remembered Babylon the Great and gave her the cup filled with the wine of the fury of his wrath. Every island fled away and the mountains could not be found." (Revelation 16:17-20)
   
   "On that day [the day of the Lord] his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, east of Jerusalem, and the Mount of Olives will be split in two from east to west, forming a great valley, with half of the mountain moving north and half moving south." (Zechariah 14:4)

   During these geographic upheavals, it appears that one mountain will be lifted up to become the highest mountain in the world. The Millennial city of Jerusalem and the Millennial temple will be on the top of this mountain:

   "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 chief among the mountains; it will be raised 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 house 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." (Isaiah 2:1-4)
   
   "In the last days the mountain of the Lord's temple will be established as chief among the mountains; it will be raised 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 house 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. Every man will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the LORD Almighty has spoken." (Micah 4:1-4)
   
   "For on my holy mountain, the high mountain of Israel, declares the Sovereign LORD, there in the land the entire house of Israel will serve me, and there I will accept them." (Ezekiel 20:40)

   Jesus will physically be living on the high holy mountain in the Millennial city of Jerusalem, which will become the center of worship for Jews and Gentiles:

   "In that day the LORD will thresh from the flowing Euphrates to the Wadi of Egypt, and you, O Israelites, will be gathered up one by one. And in that day a great trumpet will sound. Those who were perishing in Assyria and those who were exiled in Egypt will come and worship the LORD on the holy mountain in Jerusalem." (Isaiah 27:12-13)
   
   "For this is what the LORD says: "To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant - to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters; I will give them an everlasting name that will not be cut off. And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant - these I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." The Sovereign LORD declares - he who gathers the exiles of Israel: "I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered."" (Isaiah 56:4-8)

   So the high holy mountain will become the center of worship for Israel and "the nations" (the Gentiles).
   
   In the last nine chapters of his book, the prophet Ezekiel gives us exact descriptions of the Millennial temple and its surrounding buildings, with precise measurements, dimensions, and so on. To get an idea of how specific Ezekiel was, skim through the first 20 verses of chapter 40:

   "In the twenty-fifth year of our exile, at the beginning of the year, on the tenth of the month, in the fourteenth year after the fall of the city - on that very day the hand of the LORD was upon me and he took me there. In visions of God he took me to the land of Israel and set me on a very high mountain, on whose south side were some buildings that looked like a city. He took me there, and I saw a man whose appearance was like bronze; he was standing in the gateway with a linen cord and a measuring rod in his hand. The man said to me, "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see." I saw a wall completely surrounding the temple area. The length of the measuring rod in the man's hand was six long cubits, each of which was a cubit and a handbreadth. He measured the wall; it was one measuring rod thick and one rod high. Then he went to the gate facing east. He climbed its steps and measured the threshold of the gate; it was one rod deep. The alcoves for the guards were one rod long and one rod wide, and the projecting walls between the alcoves were five cubits thick. And the threshold of the gate next to the portico facing the temple was one rod deep. Then he measured the portico of the gateway; it was eight cubits deep and its jambs were two cubits thick. The portico of the gateway faced the temple. Inside the east gate were three alcoves on each side; the three had the same measurements, and the faces of the projecting walls on each side had the same measurements. Then he measured the width of the entrance to the gateway; it was ten cubits and its length was thirteen cubits. In front of each alcove was a wall one cubit high, and the alcoves were six cubits square. Then he measured the gateway from the top of the rear wall of one alcove to the top of the opposite one; the distance was twenty-five cubits from one parapet opening to the opposite one. He measured along the faces of the projecting walls all around the inside of the gateway - sixty cubits. The measurement was up to the portico facing the courtyard. The distance from the entrance of the gateway to the far end of its portico was fifty cubits. The alcoves and the projecting walls inside the gateway were surmounted by narrow parapet openings all around, as was the portico; the openings all around faced inward. The faces of the projecting walls were decorated with palm trees. Then he brought me into the outer court. There I saw some rooms and a pavement that had been constructed all around the court; there were thirty rooms along the pavement. It abutted the sides of the gateways and was as wide as they were long; this was the lower pavement. Then he measured the distance from the inside of the lower gateway to the outside of the inner court; it was a hundred cubits on the east side as well as on the north. Then he measured the length and width of the gate facing north, leading into the outer court." (Ezekiel 40:1-20)

   We can see that Ezekiel was shown exactly how the Millennial temple will look, along with precise measurements of its features, and he was told to give this information to Israel. For the rest of chapter 40, and for the next eight chapters, Ezekiel gives exact dimensions of the temple and its rooms and walls and courtyard, the decorations, the sanctuaries, the carvings, exact dimensions and descriptions of other buildings around the courtyard, precise regulations for the priests and others to follow, precise allotments of land and boundaries for the various tribes of Israel, and so on. This temple has never been built, and with the great number of specific descriptions that Ezekiel provides it would be hard to imagine anyone taking this as anything but a literal temple that will be built in the future.
   
   And yet there's a potential problem with the literal interpretation of this prophecy, which leads some people to interpret all nine of those chapters in Ezekiel as being symbolic. The "problem" is that Ezekiel described animal sacrifices in this temple (e.g., Ezekiel 40:41-42, 43:18-27, 44:11, 15, 46:2-7). If Ezekiel was describing an actual temple that will be built sometime in the future, then why would there be animal sacrifices similar to those in the Old Testament? After all, the Bible says that Jesus offered one sacrifice for sin, and no other sacrifice for sin is needed (Hebrews 10:12, 18). Therefore, some people argue that Ezekiel could not have been describing a literal, future temple because his description included animal sacrifices.
   
   However, the Old Testament animal sacrifices were never capable of taking away sins:

   "But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins, because it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins." (Hebrews 10:3-4)
   
   "Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins." (Hebrews 10:11)

   The Old Testament animal sacrifices were reminders of sin, but they did not take away sin because only Jesus can free us from our sins. The Old Testament animal sacrifices were a "picture" of what Jesus was going to do on the cross. In a similar way, the animal sacrifices in the Millennial temple will be a "picture" and a reminder of what Jesus accomplished for us. Remember, God always wants the significance of Jesus' death to be commemorated, even during the Church Age:

   "For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes." (1 Corinthians 11:23-26)

   The Lord's Supper is a "picture" and a reminder of the Lord's sacrifice for us, and we're told to continue proclaiming His death in this way until He comes (1 Corinthians 11:26, above). After He comes, it appears that the animal sacrifices in the Millennial temple will be the "picture" and the reminder of His sacrifice. Perhaps the Lord's Supper will continue to be important during the Millennium, but the Bible doesn't specifically say that.
   
   Animal sacrifices in the Old Testament were never intended to take away sins, so there's no theological problem with having animal sacrifices in the Millennial temple. Therefore, there's no reason to try to "spiritualize away" nine full chapters in Ezekiel.

"When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth - Gog and Magog - to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves." (Revelation 20:7-9)

"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. 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." (Revelation 20:9-10)

"For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the firstfruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him. Then the end will come, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father after he has destroyed all dominion, authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 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. 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 15:22-28)

"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. Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 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. 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 he had done." (Revelation 20:10-13)

"Then Jesus began to denounce the cities in which most of his miracles had been performed, because they did not repent. "Woe to you, Korazin! Woe to you, Bethsaida! If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago in sackcloth and ashes. But I tell you, it will be more bearable for Tyre and Sidon on the day of judgment than for you. And you, Capernaum, will you be lifted up to the skies? No, you will go down to the depths. If the miracles that were performed in you had been performed in Sodom, it would have remained to this day. But I tell you that it will be more bearable for Sodom on the day of judgment than for you."" (Matthew 11:20-24)

"Jesus answered, "You would have no power over me if it were not given to you from above. Therefore the one who handed me over to you is guilty of a greater sin."" (John 19:11)

"That servant who knows his master's will and does not get ready or does not do what his master wants will be beaten with many blows. But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked." (Luke 12:47-48)

"Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20:14-15)

"For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." (Matthew 5:18)

"Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." (Matthew 24:35)

"He also says, "In the beginning, O Lord, you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will roll them up like a robe; like a garment they will be changed. But you remain the same, and your years will never end."" (Hebrews 1:10-12)

"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. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness. So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him." (2 Peter 3:10-14)

"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 21:1)

"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. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband." (Revelation 21:1-2)

"Now Hagar stands for Mount Sinai in Arabia and corresponds to the present city of Jerusalem, because she is in slavery with her children. But the Jerusalem that is above is free, and she is our mother." (Galatians 4:25-26)

"By faith Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going. By faith he made his home in the promised land like a stranger in a foreign country; he lived in tents, as did Isaac and Jacob, who were heirs with him of the same promise. For he was looking forward to the city with foundations, whose architect and builder is God." (Hebrews 11:8-10)

"You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;...But you have come to Mount Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem, the city of the living God. You have come to thousands upon thousands of angels in joyful assembly, to the church of the firstborn, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God, the judge of all men, to the spirits of righteous men made perfect" (Hebrews 12:18-23)

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."" (Revelation 21:3-4)

"One of the seven angels who had the seven bowls full of the seven last plagues came and said to me, "Come, I will show you the bride, the wife of the Lamb." And he carried me away in the Spirit to a mountain great and high, and showed me the Holy City, Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God. It shone with the glory of God, and its brilliance was like that of a very precious jewel, like a jasper, clear as crystal. It had a great, high wall with twelve gates, and with twelve angels at the gates. On the gates were written the names of the twelve tribes of Israel. There were three gates on the east, three on the north, three on the south and three on the west. The wall of the city had twelve foundations, and on them were the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. The angel who talked with me had a measuring rod of gold to measure the city, its gates and its walls. The city was laid out like a square, as long as it was wide. He measured the city with the rod and found it to be 12,000 stadia in length, and as wide and high as it is long. He measured its wall and it was 144 cubits thick, by man's measurement, which the angel was using. The wall was made of jasper, and the city of pure gold, as pure as glass. The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third chalcedony, the fourth emerald, the fifth sardonyx, the sixth carnelian, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth chrysoprase, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst. The twelve gates were twelve pearls, each gate made of a single pearl. The great street of the city was of pure gold, like transparent glass. I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there. The glory and honor of the nations will be brought into it. Nothing impure will ever enter it, nor will anyone who does what is shameful or deceitful, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb's book of life." (Revelation 21:9-27)

"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, as clear as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb down the middle of the great street of the city. On each side of the river stood the tree of life" (Revelation 22:1-2)

"And the LORD God made all kinds of trees grow out of the ground - trees that were pleasing to the eye and good for food. In the middle of the garden were the tree of life and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil." (Genesis 2:9)

"And the LORD God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil. He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."" (Genesis 3:22)

"After he drove the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and a flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life." (Genesis 3:24)

"On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And the leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse." (Revelation 22:2-3)

"I did not see a temple in the city, because the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their splendor into it. On no day will its gates ever be shut, for there will be no night there." (Revelation 21:22-25)

"The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever." (Revelation 22:3-5)

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"do not treat prophecies with contempt" (1 Thessalonians 5:20)

"Blessed is the one who reads the words of this prophecy, and blessed are those who hear it and take to heart what is written in it, because the time is near" (Revelation 1:3)

"Behold, I am coming soon! Blessed is he who keeps the words of the prophecy in this book." (Revelation 22:7)

• 04/26/2024 - Slightly modified the section called "When the Thousand Years Are Over."

• 01/24/2024 - Added a definition of "saint" in the section called "The resurrection of the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation martyrs" and in the section called "Government during the Millennium."

• 01/15/2024 - Slightly modified the section called "Government during the Millennium."

• 10/07/2023 - Slightly modified the section called "The Antichrist and the False Prophet." Modified my comments about the Davidic throne in the section called "Government during the Millennium."

• 09/05/2023 - Corrected my descriptions of Zechariah 14:4.

• 04/09/2023 - Added more information about Revelation 22:3-5 at the end of the section called "What Will Eternity Be Like?"

• 02/16/2023 - Added more information about King David and the throne of David in the section called "Government during the Millennium." Added a link to my article called "Understanding Jesus - Part One" in the section called "When the Thousand Years Are Over." Modified the last paragraph in the section called "What Will Eternity Be Like?"

• 12/17/2022 - Added some more information about the Greek word for "sea" in the section called "What Will Eternity Be Like?"

• 11/16/2022 - Modified the section called "What Will Eternity Be Like?"

• 08/10/2022 - Modified the section called "The Antichrist and the False Prophet." Added a link to my article called "The Second Coming" in the section called "The final regathering of the Jews back to Israel." Modified the section called "The resurrection of the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation martyrs."

• 07/23/2022 - Modified my closing statement.

• 07/18/2022 - Deleted the information about the canon of Scripture because that information is now in my article called All Gifts of the Spirit Are Available Today.

• 05/23/2022 - Modified the section called "The Antichrist and the False Prophet."

• 11/03/2021 - Made the font size a bit bigger and added a fish symbol as a favicon (which is displayed in the browser tab).

• 09/24/2021 - Made a slight change to say that when the Antichrist makes a seven-year "covenant" with Israel, it will be a treaty or contract agreement of some kind. Originally I had said that it will likely be a peace treaty, but that's too narrow of a definition of "covenant."

• 02/14/2019 - Modified some of the wording.

• 08/02/2004 - Added a new bullet item called "The restoration of all things" in the section called "Events That Will Take Place Before the Millennium Begins."

• 03/09/2004 - Modified the sections called "The final regathering of the Jews" and "The resurrection of the Old Testament saints and the Tribulation martyrs."

• 01/02/2004 - Added a section concerning Matthew 24:31.

• 05/17/2001 - New article.