Will Jesus Reign on earth for 1000 years?
Will Jesus Reign on earth for 1000 years? Some believe that Jesus will return to earth in human form to rule for 1000 years and then the Last Day will occur. The Bible does not reveal when the Last Day will occur. Jesus told his Disciples that no one knows when the Last Day will come and to always be prepared for its’ coming. God uses figurative language in His Word often in order to help one focus on one’s faith rather than trying to interpret the Bible in a literalistic manner. If one knew exactly when the Last Day would occur, one could easily lose their salvation to living according to their sinful desires instead of God’s will. In Psalms, God says that a 1000 years are like a day. In Revelation Chapter 20, God says the souls of saints that were beheaded and those who believed in Jesus were reigning with him for a 1000 years before the end of the world.
In this chapter, Jesus also bound the Devil with a great chain. The great chain is figurative and represents Jesus’ resurrection when he defeated Satan and conquered death. The souls raised to life are people on earth who have come to faith through the gospel of Jesus’ death and resurrection. Jesus’ ministry is when the figurative 1000 year reign began and will continue until the Last Day even though it has been over 2000 years since Jesus was crucified. The Bible says that Jesus will return only once after his resurrection and that will be on the Last Day. The saints reigning with Christ in Revelation symbolize the spreading of the pure Gospel to all the world through all believers in Christ from the beginning of his ministry until the Last Day. Believers rejoice, trusting that they are saved only by the grace of God. Believers look forward to the Last Day with anticipation of their final redemption and eternal life with Jesus.
God’s word on the 1000 years of Jesus reign on earth: NIV, Mathew 4: 12 – 17; Matthew 28:18, 19; Luke 4:16- 21; John 12: 31-33; John 18:36, 37; Romans 10:5-13; Rev.20:1-3; John 18:36; Colossians 3:2