The song “Joy to the World” has been miscast as a Christmas hymn. The words of the song speak of a time that is yet to come. It will come in the time of the Millennium. The word “Millennium” means “a thousand years”. It appears in the text six times.

1 – Three perspectives on the Millennium

There are three competing views. The view that a person believes on the Millennium shows how they interpret the Bible.

• Post-Millennialism – This group believes that Jesus will not return until the Millennium has happened. The church will conquer the Earth for Christ and then Jesus will return to a utopian world to take up the thrown that has been won for him by the Church. This view flourished until World War I. Then it became apparent that the world was not getting better. When World War II then happened, the view was largely forgotten about.
• Amillennialism – These people take all the verses in the Bible to do with the millennium and say that they are symbolic rather than literal. The church inherits all of the blessings that were given to Israel. The events in Revelation 20 are happening right now. The church is reigning with Christ right now. The prophecies of peace and prosperity are not being fulfilled! You have to symbolise and spiritualise the Bible to the point that is difficult to know what is to be taken literally. You can make the Bible say anything you want!
• Premillennialism – This is the oldest view in Church history and the most commonly accepted view of the Millennium. The Millennium is a period of one thousand years after the second coming of Jesus Christ.

2. Four purposes of the Millennium

It is very important that there is this period of time.

• To reward the people of God – There are many promises throughout the Bible rewarding God’s people for faithful service. See Isaiah 40:10, Matthew 16:27, Matthew 25:24, Colossians 3:24, Revelation 22:12 & 20:4. The rewards for our service on earth are given when we get to the kingdom. The believer will rule and reign with Christ upon the earth. To serve the Lord is reward not punishment! He gives us more responsibilities, increased opportunities, greater abilities and wisdom. There will be godly people appointed in every position!
• To respond to the prophet’s predictions – Most of the prophecies of the Bible have their fulfilment in the Millennium. It is the most talked about prophetic event in the Bible. See Psalm 72:11, Isaiah 9:7, Isaiah 60:21, Zechariah 9:10 & Luke 1:32-33. Jesus will triumph on the earth where he was seemingly defeated. He will come back to the earth where he was rejected. This time he will pick up his inheritance and reign as King of Kings. Jesus will be ruler of the whole world.
• To receive the answer to the disciple’s prayer – See Matthew 9:10. God’s will is coming to earth and will reflect what already goes on in heaven.
• To reemphasise man’s depravity and the necessity of Christ’s death – At the end of the one thousand years, Satan will be released and one last rebellion will be allowed to happen. Those going into the Millennium will be godly but they will have children. Righteousness is not inherited! God has children, not grandchildren! Some of these children will join the rebellion. Despite of having Christ reigning in righteousness there will be rebellion. Our problem is not our environment – it is our nature! There was rebellion in a perfect Garden of Eden and there will be rebellion in a perfect Millennium.

3. Five profiles of the Millennium

What will the Millennium be like? We can imagine it in our greatest fantasy but what does the Bible have to say about it so we get a clearer picture? It is all we could imagine for and much more that we can’t! It is only a sample of what is coming in eternity.

• It will be a time of peace – The United Nations is supposed to “beat their swords into ploughshares”. See Isaiah 2:4 & Micah 4:3. It is not going to happen through the United Nations! The Millennium will achieve this peace. Even the natural world will be at peace. See Psalm 72:7, Micah 4:2-3 & Isaiah 11:6-9. War will be forgotten! There will be no need for a defence budget, army or weapons.
• It will be a time of prosperity – See Ezekiel 34:26-27, Ezekiel 36:29-35, Amos 9:13, Zechariah 8:12, Isaiah 35:1, 7. This prosperity will exceed anything we have seen and there will be none who are poor.
• It will be a time of purity – Sin and will be kept in check and disobedience will not reign. See Isaiah 11:9, Isaiah 25:9, Isaiah 66:23, Zechariah 13:2
• It will be a time of prolonged life – People are going to live longer like it was before the flood. See Isaiah 65:20. Many people will live through most of the Millennium.
• It will be a time of personal joy – It will make us forget about misery! See Isaiah 9:3, 12:3, 14:7, 25:8-9, 30:29, 42:10-12.

Categories: Revelation