Sermon 20 - HOPE FOR THE MILLENNIUM

END-TIME MESSAGES FROM JESUS – Sabbath Morning Evangelism Volume 2
20. HOPE FOR THE MILLENNIUM

1 END-TIME MESSAGES FROM JESUS
"Teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you;
and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” (Matthew
28:20)
2 Sabbath Morning Evangelism
3 HOPE FOR THE MILLENNIUM
4 The whole world was spellbound when astronaut Yury

Gagarin circled the globe in Vostok, in 108 minutes, capturing the
headlines of the world on April 12,1961.
5 And the world was still amazed from the impact of such a giant
leap in space technology when astronauts Neil Armstrong and
“Buzz” Aldrin walked on the moon July 20, 1969. Our world
would never be the same again! Some people were a little
frightened by this invasion of outer space.
6 Others were ecstatic. One man said, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if

the astronauts would discover a beautiful, habitable, fertile
planet somewhere out there in space where mankind could slip
off to and escape all the problems we have on earth?” Wouldn’t
that be great?
Wouldn’t it be nice to escape the pollution, the crime, the sickness,
sorrows, and heartaches we have here on this earth? That would be
wonderful even if it were just a long, long vacation!
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7 Well, what would you think about a vacation that would last one
thousand years? Impossible? Perhaps you didn’t know it, but the
Bible talks about a vacation that will last one thousand years!
8 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key
to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
9 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil
and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Revelation
20:1, 2.
10 Talk about a workaholic! Satan never punches a time clock. He has

been on the job around the clock, seven days a week, month in and
month out for thousands of years. No coffee breaks. No holidays.
No sick time. And no vacations, ever!
And talk about production! Everywhere, every day we see the
diabolical accomplishments of this fallen angel. We see it in
hospitals and nursing homes, prisons and refugee camps,
earthquakes and tornadoes, crime and war. If anyone ever earned a
vacation, Satan has. Yet strange as it may seem, he is not anxious
for one—he has to be forced to take one!
After his rebellion, Satan and his angels were thrown out of
Heaven. The Bible records:
11 And war broke out in heaven… So the great dragon was cast
out, that serpent of old, called the Devil and Satan,…
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12 … who deceives the whole world; he was cast to the earth, and
his angels were cast out with him. Revelation 12:7, 9.
13 Planet Earth, fresh from the Creator’s hand, became Satan’s

headquarters. By deceit he gained control from Adam and Eve, and
for 6,000 years has shown how he would run the world. Earth is a
theater in the universe illustrating what happens when God’s
commands are ignored, when man chooses to do his own thing, to
go his own way!
14 Christ came and died on Calvary to ransom this hijacked planet and
its inhabitants from Satan’s control. The crucifixion of Christ
demonstrated to the universe how far this sinister angel would go in
his attempt to destroy God and His kingdom.
15 But when Christ returned to Heaven, the victor over death and sin,
Satan knew his time was running out. That is why Peter cautioned
mankind:
16 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks

about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. 1 Peter
5:8.
17 The war that begun in Heaven will end on Earth after Satan’s
forced vacation—a vacation lasting 1,000 years.
This time period is often referred to as the “Millennium,” which
comes from two Latin words, “milli” and “annum” simply
meaning a thousand years.
But you say, “When will the millennium, or Satan’s vacation,
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begin?” Can we know? Indeed we can! Let’s take a look at the
events surrounding Christ’s second coming. Paul describes that
coming.
18 For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout,
with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. 1
Thessalonians 4:16.
19 Notice what Jesus says: Do not marvel at this; for the hour is
coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice
and come forth…
20 …those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and

those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
John 5:28, 29.
21 Two general resurrections

1. Resurrection of life for those who have done good.
2. Resurrection of damnation for those who have done evil.
As we study the Bible we discover that one resurrection takes place
at the beginning of the thousand years, and the other resurrection at
the end of that time.
The Apostle John makes it clear which resurrection takes place
first.
22 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.

Revelation 20:6.
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23 Paul describes the details of this resurrection: For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven… And the dead in Christ
will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:16.
24 Immediately another thrilling event takes place: Then we who are

alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the
clouds…
25 …to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with
the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
26 At that moment the saved will be changed. The Bible says, …we
shall all be changed— in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye…
27 For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised
incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
28 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal

must put on immortality. 1 Corinthians 15:51-53.
29 The righteous will have perfect bodies, never again subject to
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disease or death. Seems almost too good to be true!
It is interesting to note that the righteous living will not be taken to
Heaven before Christ’s second coming and the resurrection of the
righteous dead, for we read:…
30 For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are
alive and remain until the coming of the Lord…
31 …will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord
Himself will descend from heaven…
32 And the dead in Christ will rise first. 1 Thessalonians 4:15, 16.
All the righteous, both the living and those resurrected at Christ’s
coming, will be taken to Heaven at the same time. And thus we
shall always be with the Lord. 1 Thessalonians 4:17.
33 John said, …they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall
reign with Him a thousand years. Revelation 20:6. What a time!
A thousand years with our Lord and loved ones in the New
Jerusalem. Are you wondering what the righteous could possibly
find to do in Heaven for a thousand years?
34 John gives the insight: And I saw thrones, and they sat on them,
and judgment was committed to them. Revelation 20:4.
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35 The righteous will participate in the solemn task of judging the
fallen angels, and the unsaved.
Paul said: Do you not know that the saints will judge the world?
…Do you not know that we shall judge angels? 1 Corinthians
6:2, 3.
36 But you say, “Why have a judgment after everyone’s fate has been
decided?” Have you ever thought what your reaction might be if
you looked for someone in Heaven that you expected to be there
and you could not find him? You might question what caused him
to be lost. So you see, during the millennium the records of the lost
will be opened.
The most carefully guarded secrets and purposes harbored in each
mind will be exposed. That is what the Bible says:
37 Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes,
who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness…
38 …and reveal the counsels of the hearts. Then each one’s praise
will come from God. 1 Corinthians 4:5. After the saved examine
the records of the lost, they will understand why God could not
save the lost. God’s love and justice will be fully revealed.
The saved will agree with John, the disciple:…
39 Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your
judgments. Revelation 16:7. “Well, that’s very interesting,” you
say, “but what happens to the wicked?”
40 The Bible says that the wicked …hid themselves in the caves and
in the rocks of the mountains, and said to the mountains and
rocks, fall on us and hide us from the face of Him…
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41 …who sits 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 6:15-17. It is an awesome picture.
42 The Prophet Jeremiah adds these vivid details: And at that day the
slain of the Lord shall be from one end of the earth even to the
other end of the earth. They shall not be lamented, or gathered,
or buried… Jeremiah 25:33.
43 It is quite obvious that there would be no one to mourn or bury the

wicked slain at Christ’s coming, for the righteous have been taken
to Heaven. Is that the end of the sinner? No, not at all!
Remember, the righteous dead were raised in the first resurrection.
What about the rest of the dead—the wicked? The Bible clearly
states that Christ’s second coming does not disturb the wicked
dead. John says,...
44 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand
years were finished. Revelation 20:5.
45 Now let’s focus on the events that take place on the Earth during
the millennium.
The righteous who are alive when Christ comes, along with the
righteous resurrected, are taken to Heaven.
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46 The wicked who are dead when Christ comes remain in the grave.
The wicked living are slain by the glory of Christ’s coming.
The Prophet Jeremiah then describes the Earth:
47 I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void;
and the heavens, they had no light.
48 I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the
hills moved back and forth.
49 I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the
heavens had fled.
50 I beheld, and indeed the fruitful land was a wilderness, and all
its cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord, by His
fierce anger. Jeremiah 4:23-26.
51 What chaos! The desolation and ruined condition of the Earth at

that time will be unimaginable.
John says:
52 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key
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to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
53 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil
and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. Revelation
20:1, 2.
54 This is a symbolic vision. The bottomless pit describes the Earth in

its chaotic condition. The Greek word for bottomless pit is
“abussos”.
The same Greek word is used in the Septuagint to describe the
chaotic condition that existed on the first day of creation…
55 ...without form, and void. Genesis 1:2.
56 So Satan spent a forced vacation on a devastated planet! Certainly a

fitting place for Satan and his evil angels, wouldn’t you say? And
what better symbolism could God use to describe Satan’s condition
than being “chained” or “bound” during that time?
57 Think for a moment. The righteous are in Heaven. The wicked are
dead. Everyone is gone. Everywhere there is ruin. Evidently the
great chain which Satan is bound to is a chain of circumstances.
There is no one to deceive. No lives to twist or destroy. No longer
does Satan have access to human beings. We use the same figure of
speech today. If we want to do something, yet circumstances will
not permit us, we say, “our hands are tied.” Just so with Satan. He
would love to continue his sinister work, but there is no one
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around. He is “bound.”
Satan has nothing to do but wander to and fro on the Earth and
reflect on the results of his rebellion against God. No doubt he will
also ponder with terror the time when he will be punished for the
pain and suffering he has caused—the results of his folly.
58 But even this thousand-year vacation will end. Let’s look at the
events that will transpire at the close of the millennium. John said:
I, John, saw the holy city, the New Jerusalem, coming down out
of heaven from God. Revelation 21:2. What a sight!
59 A city 375 square miles coming down from Heaven in all its
splendor and settling upon the Earth!
Almost simultaneously, as the city descends with Christ and His
followers, another dramatic event takes place. As for the rest of the
dead, they did not come to life until the thousand years were
completed.
60 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand
years were finished. Revelation 20:5.
61 The wicked dead are raised to life. What a sight that must be! A
vast number—all the wicked from Adam’s day to the second
Advent. John says,
62 …whose number is as the sand of the sea. Revelation 20:8.
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63 At the same moment another event takes place. John predicts. Now
when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released
from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations…
Revelation 20:7, 8.
64 The chain of circumstances that have bound him is removed. There

are people to deceive. As soon as he has a chance, he is at his old
tricks again. Deluding and deceiving! Once again the unsaved
choose to follow Satan as their leader. The Devil marshals the
wicked into one vast army bent on taking the New Jerusalem by
force. This is Earth’s last great battle. The mighty army under the
rebel angel’s leadership advances.
65 John describes what happens, They went up on the breadth of

the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the
beloved city. Revelation 20:9.
66 Now the archenemy of God grasps his last opportunity to attempt to

seize world dominion by capturing the city of God.
67 However, John makes it clear that this desperate attempt will not
succeed. In what is called “His strange act,” God will finish the
battle. And fire came down from God out of heaven and
devoured them. Revelation 20:9.
68 Peter saw this fire in vision and wrote: will melt with fervent
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heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned
up. 2 Peter 3:10.
69 The interesting thing is that God’s Word says that hell was
prepared for the devil and his angels.
As Christ passes sentence upon those who have rejected salvation,
He will say:
Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared
for the devil and his angels. Matthew 25:41.
70 You see, Jesus said He was going to “prepare a place” for man
when He returned to Heaven, but if man rejects God and His
salvation and chooses to follow Satan, man will also share in the
fate of the devil and his angels. “Wait a minute,” you say.
“Everlasting fire sounds like it will be forever.”
Well, let’s read verse 46 of the same chapter in Matthew:
71 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the

righteous into eternal life. Matthew 25:46. It is punishment that
is everlasting—not the punishing! God said the wages of sin is
death. That is final, everlasting. The state of being dead will never
end. The punishment is eternal in its consequences.
72 An example is found in the Book of Jude: As Sodom and

Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to
these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality…
73 …and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example,

suffering the vengeance of eternal fire. Jude 7.
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74 The inhabitants of Sodom and Gomorrah had become so vile that
they had to be destroyed. But Abraham’s nephew, Lot, and his
family lived in Sodom.
God sent angels to lead Lot and his family out of the city before the
fire fell and cities were destroyed.
75 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and

Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. Genesis 19:24.
76 The Bible tells us that everyone and everything was destroyed,

even the grass surrounding those cities. Sounds like atomic
explosion, doesn’t it? Jude said those cities would be destroyed by
“eternal fire”. Are they burning now? Of course not! But the effects
have been eternal.
Peter said the destruction of those cities was an example to us of
what is in store for those who live ungodly lives,…
77 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes,

condemned them to destruction,…
78 …making them an example to those who afterward would live

ungodly. 2 Peter 2:6.
79 The wicked will quickly be burned up. Just like stubble, Malachi
says. For behold, the day is coming, burning like an oven, and
all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble.
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80 And the day which is coming shall burn them up, says the Lord
of hosts, that will leave them neither root nor branch. Malachi
4:1.
81 The fire will be unquenchable. The wicked will cease to be. The
effects of fire will be eternal—everlasting.
There will be nothing left of the wicked. In fact Malachi says: You
shall trample the wicked, for they shall be ashes under the soles
of your feet on the day that I do this, says the Lord of hosts.
Malachi 4:3.
82 John says, Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Revelation
21:1.
83 Out of the ashes of a charred world cleansed from the deadly

whims of sin, God recreates a new world.
God gave Isaiah a picture of that new Earth. For behold, I create
new heavens and a new earth; and the former shall not be
remembered or come to mind. Isaiah 65:17.
84 What a glorious eternity God promises the saved! The human mind
cannot comprehend the glory and the beauty of the paradise God is
preparing for those who love Him so much they are willing to
follow Him.
The most glorious vacation spot on Earth will be nothing compared
to the vacation land God has prepared for the saved in the Earth
made new. And think, all of this the wicked could have enjoyed!
But the price tag seemed too high. They were unwilling to choose
Christ as their Savior and Lord. They exchanged eternal life in
paradise for the “pleasure of sin for a season.” What an exchange!
So much for so little!
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85 As Jesus said, For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole
world, and loses his own soul?
86 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew

16:26.
87 Regardless of the price, friend, eternal life in God’s beautiful new

Earth will be worth it all.
Appeal and Prayer.
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END-TIME MESSAGES FROM JESUS – Sabbath Morning Evangelism Volume 2

20. HOPE FOR THE MILLENNIUM

2 Sabbath Morning Evangelism

3 HOPE FOR THE MILLENNIUM

4 The whole world was spellbound when astronaut Yury

6 Others were ecstatic. One man said, “Wouldn’t it be wonderful if

10 Talk about a workaholic! Satan never punches a time clock. He has

13 Planet Earth, fresh from the Creator’s hand, became Satan’s

16 Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks

20 …those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and

21 Two general resurrections

22 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection.

24 Immediately another thrilling event takes place: Then we who are

28 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal

29 The righteous will have perfect bodies, never again subject to

43 It is quite obvious that there would be no one to mourn or bury the

51 What chaos! The desolation and ruined condition of the Earth at

54 This is a symbolic vision. The bottomless pit describes the Earth in

55 ...without form, and void. Genesis 1:2.

56 So Satan spent a forced vacation on a devastated planet! Certainly a

62 …whose number is as the sand of the sea. Revelation 20:8.

64 The chain of circumstances that have bound him is removed. There

65 John describes what happens, They went up on the breadth of

66 Now the archenemy of God grasps his last opportunity to attempt to

71 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the

72 An example is found in the Book of Jude: As Sodom and

73 …and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example,

75 Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and

76 The Bible tells us that everyone and everything was destroyed,

77 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah into ashes,

78 …making them an example to those who afterward would live

83 Out of the ashes of a charred world cleansed from the deadly

86 Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew

87 Regardless of the price, friend, eternal life in God’s beautiful new

Appeal and Prayer.

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