The expression ‘a thousand years’ is repeated no less than six times in this chapter. It refers to a completed, definite period, and we see no reason not to take this number literally, even though others have said that because 1000 = 10 x 10 x 10, or ten to the third power, and because ten represents ‘completeness’ and three represents the triune God, then this points to God’s full and overall rule, without it literally being a thousand years. We do not understand how anyone can say that at the present time the devil is already bound. World history (and church history) over the past two thousand years indicate the contrary. The nations are repeatedly seduced to war—twice, to two World Wars in the last century. The Church and Christianity have not always been a paragon of Christ’s rule. How horribly ‘heretics’ have been persecuted and how terribly have the Jews been treated. Didn’t the Church make its contribution to colonialism? And wasn’t the Church silent – or compromised – with regard to many other sins in teaching Christian ethics opening the door to abortion, euthanasia, and free sexual morality outside the framework of marriage, a permissive society and so forth? This is not to deny the very many good things the Church and Christianity have done over the centuries, but we must admit often the Church was participating in evil as well. The devil is still prowling around as a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour,1 as he has already been doing for centuries. In the meantime Islam has conquered and de-Christianised many areas in the Middle East and in the rest of the world which were once Christian. The Church does not really reign on earth therefore. What about ‘worldwide distribution’ of Christianity? Only twenty to twenty-five percent of the world population (if all the ‘Christian’ sects are included) is counted as ‘Christian’ and the increasing de-Christianisation of Europe is a fact. In the Western ‘Christian’ world we have entered into post-Christianity – maybe the world now has entered the post-Christian phase. No, the ‘binding of the devil’ has still to happen in the future, and will happen! True world peace will only come when the ‘Prince of Peace’ Himself comes. Praying for the ‘peace of Jerusalem’ (Psalm 122:6) means praying for the Coming of the Prince of Peace to Jerusalem. Then the martyrs who will rise from the dead as well as the triumphant Church and all who have been faithful and righteousness throughout the ages will reign with Him — however difficult it is to imagine, this really will be happening one-day soon! This is what the Bible says and this is what will happen therefore. How wonderful for the ‘souls under the altar’, who were once slain ‘because of the Word of God and the testimony they had maintained’!2 How wonderful for the people who said ‘no’ to the anti-Christ’s civilisation and who thus became ‘drop-outs’. Many of them did not go along with ‘Babylon’ and so they were not able even to save their own skins. Now they will go and sit on thrones, judge together with Christ, reigning together with Him.3 That is what Christ has promised the ‘victors’, the ‘overcomers’.4 Daniel also saw several thrones,5 and affirmed: “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under Heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting Kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey Him.”6 Many believe this indicates that the ‘people of Israel’ will also play a central role in Christ’s rule on earth, because the prophet Isaiah predicted that the Law (Torah) will go forth from Jerusalem and peace will cover the whole earth.7 Representatives of the nations will then go up to Jerusalem annually to celebrate the ‘Feast of Tabernacles’ there.8 Israel will first be given the final revelation about Christ before it assumes a central role on earth.9 The nations will first be judged.10 How the resurrected saints of the first resurrection will relate to those who live on earth is not mentioned anywhere. So we should not speculate about that. But no doubt that relationship between Heaven and earth will be wonderful! Christ was 40 days after His bodily resurrection on earth crossing over between the Heavenly dimensions and the four dimensions of our world and Universe. For 40 days He went back and forth between here and there, Acts 1:3-7. He spoke with His friends and ate and drank with them.11 Will He do the same, going back and forth between the Heavenly and the earthly Jerusalem, when He will be sitting on the throne of His father David (in Jerusalem) and rule in the midst of the House of Israel and the House of Judah (the 12 tribes of Israel) in the Kingdom to come? In the Bible angels also regularly ‘cross over’ to appear visibly on earth. Will we in our ‘resurrection bodies’ cross over as well? Between the Heavenly Jerusalem and the Jerusalem on earth? Let’s not speculate. We shall see and will find out in that future! But it will be exciting! What is more important is whether you are one of the ‘redeemed’, the ‘chosen ones’ saved by the blood of the Lamb. If yes, this is about a wonderful future for you as well!
• Pre-millennialism teaches that first of all Christ returns to earth, and only then will the Millennium, the ‘golden age’, dawn; there will be an actual first bodily resurrection and, much later, a second bodily resurrection; the true Church, resurrected at the first resurrection, will reign with Christ and only then will the devil be bound.
• The religious profile of the world is rapidly changing, driven primarily by differences in fertility rates and the size of youth populations among the world’s major religions, as well as by people switching faiths.
• Over the next four decades, Christians will remain the largest religious group, but Islam will grow faster than any other major religion. If current trends continue, by 2050, the number of Muslims will nearly equal the number of Christians around the world.
• Atheists, agnostics and other people who do not affiliate with any religion are increasing in countries such as the United States and France but they will make up a declining share of the world’s total population.
• The global Buddhist population will be about the same size as it was in 2010, while the Hindu and Jewish populations will be larger than they are today. In Europe, Muslims will make up 10% of the overall population. India will retain a Hindu majority but also will have the largest Muslim population of any country in the world, surpassing Indonesia.
• In the United States, Christians will decline from more than three-quarters of the population in 2010 to two-thirds in 2050, and Judaism will no longer be the largest non-Christian religion. Muslims will be more numerous in the U.S. than people who identify as Jewish on the basis of religion.
• Four out of every 10 Christians in the world will live in sub-Saharan Africa.
Bible References:
1.1 Peter 5:8 2.Revelation 6:9–11 3.Revelation 7:13–17, 13:7 and 15, 17:6 4.Revelation 2:26, 3:21, 5:9–10 5.Daniel 7:9 6.Daniel 7:27 NIV 7.Isaiah 2:2–4; Micah 4:1–3 8.Zechariah 14:16–21 9.Matthew 19:28; Zechariah 12:10-14 10.Matthew 25:31–46 11. Luke 24:13–43; John 20:19–20; 26–28, 21
