Ever since the dawn of civilization,
man has longed to live in a world where all his physical desires could be fulfilled!
But even as he has longed for such a place,
in his heart he has been secretly positive that such a UTOPIA could never be found ON THIS EARTH.
Your Creator has planned a Utopia even beyond the dreams of men — and more important,
He will soon establish that Utopia.
Tomorrow's World is just around the corner — universal peace and prosperity,
a world bubbling over with joy and happiness!
WHY SHOULD A UTOPIA BE IMPOSSIBLE? Why shouldn't we have a world at peace, filled with joy and prosperity, racial harmony and genuine love?
Where Mentioned in the Bible
God has allowed a six-thousand-year period for mankind to rule himself apart from God if man so chooses. During this time, God has, in a sense, kept hands off the affairs of this world. Man has pursued the course that "seems right" to him.
BUT time is now almost up! The new order — THE HAPPY WORLD TOMORROW — will soon be here. A thousand years of peace and prosperity are just around the corner.
In Micah, the fourth chapter, a graphic description is given us concerning the soon-coming Utopia. Verse one shows an end to the crisis of the 1970's and God's rulership established over the nations. Then what happens? "And many nations shall come, and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain [government) of the Lord, and to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for the law shall go forth of Zion, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among many people, and rebuke strong nations afar off; and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up a sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore."
In less than 15 years all nations are going to live in this Utopia! They will — when necessary — be forced to learn the ways of peace. This Utopia of God's making — not man's — is fast approaching.
What's wrong with this millennial Utopia? Why don't people want it?
It is time you knew about the coming Utopia — a MILLENNIUM of abundant and happy living — free from the fears of war, sickness and poverty.
What Do We Mean "Millennium"?
The word "millennium" is derived from the Latin which simply means a thousand years. Instead of finding the word "millennium" in the Scriptures, you will read of the "thousand years." The only scriptures in all the Bible mentioning in specific terms this period of time are in Revelation 20:1-9.
Here is the TIME SETTING for the coming Utopia or millennium.
The Apostle John wrote that he saw an angel who "laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years . . . and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled" (Rev. 20 :2-3).
Did you notice that? During the millennium (the thousand years), the devil does not deceive the nations. This age we are now in couldn't be the millennium, because the devil is STILL DECEIVING THE NATIONS. The millennium must still be in the future — a time when the devil will not be deceiving the whole world any longer.
Notice what else the Apostle John says about the thousand years.
"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:6).
So the millennium is a time when the saints reign with Christ. The saints help create the millennial Utopia. Who are the saints? Those who are qualifying now by obedience to the Law of God through faith in Christ.
Did you ever notice before that those in the first resurrection will reign with Christ a thousand years? (Rev. 20:4) This means that the millennium can't begin until AFTER the first resurrection, because it is those in the first resurrection who do the ruling.
WHEN Will the Millennium Occur?
Now when does the first resurrection occur?
I Thessalonians 4:14-17 declares that the first resurrection occurs at the second coming of Christ. "The Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air."
This first resurrection occurs "at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed" (I Cor. 15:52).
Since the saints do not rise until the second coming of Christ, and since they rule with Christ during the millennium, then the thousand years must occur after the second coming of Christ, and NOT before. This is vitally important because there are some who teach that Jesus does not come until the end of the thousand years. But your Bible says Jesus comes at the beginning of the thousand years.
Christ is returning to bring peace and make a UTOPIA possible!
But what else occurs when the last trump sounds?
In Revelation 11:15-19, when the last or seventh trumpet blows, the dead are raised AND "the kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign forever and ever."
This is when that promised time of peace and prosperity begins! Christ is beginning His reign and the saints are already resurrected to rule with Christ.
But where shall the saints rule?
WHERE Will the Millennium Be Spent?
The last phrase of I Thessalonians 4:17 tells us. After all the saints meet the Lord in the air they shall "ever be with the Lord." Since the saints shall always be with Jesus Christ, then any scripture that tells us where Christ will be will also explain where those resurrected saints shall be during the thousand years. Also a verse that says where the saints shall rule during the thousand years explains the place where Christ must be ruling, too!
Now consider this. In order to reign during the millennium, there must be someone for the saints to reign over. Over whom does Christ give the saints power and authority to rule?
Notice Revelation 2:26-27. Jesus promises: "And he that overcometh to him will I give power over the nations: and he shall RULE them with a rod of iron." So the saints will rule over the nations. And these nations will be ruled with a rod of iron.
In the last days of the kings or rulers of this present civilization, "shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people {not to human beings, but to the sons of God), but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand forever" (Dan. 2:44).
Notice, that it is "in the days of these kings," not a thousand years later, that God sets up His kingdom under Christ — pictured by the stone that smote the image (Dan. 2:34, 35) — which "became a great mountain, and FILLED THE WHOLE EARTH." It doesn't fill heaven, BUT IT DOES FILL THE EARTH.
To say that these nations are in heaven is absurd. Are there such sinful nations in heaven that the saints have to rule them with an iron rod? Of course not. These are the nations of this earth.
Now let's find scriptures telling us that Christ WILL rule on this earth. In Revelation 3:21, Jesus said: "To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne." So the resurrected saints will sit with Christ ON His THRONE while ruling the nations.
At the present moment Christ is sitting on His Father's throne in heaven (Rev. 3:21). He is NOT sitting on His own throne. But when Jesus leaves heaven (Acts 3:21) to come for the saints, they are promised a place with Him on His throne. Jesus does not promise them a place on the Father's throne in heaven, but a place on His own throne, from which they, with Jesus, shall rule the nations with a rod of iron.
Where will Jesus' throne be?
The Throne of David Is NOT in Heaven!
The throne of Jesus Christ could not be in heaven. If Jesus' throne were the Father's throne in heaven, then He would not need His own throne because He is already sitting on the Father's throne. But what throne will Jesus have?
Gabriel said, as recorded in Luke 1:32-33, that Jesus "shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: and he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end."
So Jesus' throne will be the throne of David. David's throne is on this earth! (Jer. 33:17) The Father's throne is in heaven. During the millennium, the saints shall sit with Christ on the throne of David in Jerusalem and rule the nations of this earth.
Not only will Christ rule over the house of Jacob forever, as Gabriel said, but it is also written: "Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Ask of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the uttermost parts of the earth for thy possession. Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter's vessel" (Psalm 2:7-9).
Here the Psalmist says that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, will do the very same things that He promised those in the first resurrection shall do. Of course, the saints shall rule WITH HIM and carry out His will and authority over the nations. This is when the Kingdom will be restored to Israel and when Christ shall rule the house of Jacob on the throne of David (Acts 1:6).
When the Kingdom of God is established on earth, then we shall have peace — and not until then. Yes, a wonderful UTOPIA is coming in the WORLD TOMORROW!
If all these scriptures are not. proof enough that we shall reign with Christ on this earth, and not in heaven, during the millennium, then turn to Revelation 5:9. The proper translation of this verse, from the original Greek, is that Christ purchased with His blood "men of every tribe, and tongue, and people, and nation, and madest them a kingdom and priests to our God; and THEY SHALL REIGN UPON THE EARTH."
Here it is in the plainest of language. The saints shall reign, not in heaven, but on the earth. Do you believe what the Bible says?
HOW and WHEN Jesus Returns to Earth
In Acts 1:9-11 the account of Jesus' departure over nineteen hundred years ago is given. "While they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight. And while they looked stedfastly toward heaven as he went up, behold, two men . . . said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven."
How did Jesus leave? He ascended from the Mount of Olives and was received by the clouds of heaven. And He is going to return in like manner. Let's find a scripture explaining this.
In Revelation 19 we read that, at the second coming of Christ, military contingents of all nations are gathered to battle against Jerusalem. This same time, the second coming of Christ, is described in Zechariah 14:1-3. It is in the Day of the Lord when all nations are warring against Jerusalem. "THEN shall the Lord go forth, and fight against those nations . . . AND HIS FEET SHALL STAND IN THAT DAY UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES" (Zech. 14:3, 4).
Notice it. Jesus is coming in the clouds of heaven (Rev. 1:7) and shall fight against the nations AND His FEET SHALL STAND IN THAT DAY UPON THE MOUNT OF OLIVES, which is on this earth. It does not say that Jesus will stand on the mount a thousand years later, but in that day as He returns to receive the throne of David and to rule the nations with a rod of iron.