Monday, August 2, 2021

Dreams of the Millennial Reign of Christ


I've had these very fascinating reoccurring dreams in my life that I'd like to share with you briefly. As always, you should test anything stated as special revelation against the scriptures. Always regard the scriptures above any dream, vision, or concept stated outside the scriptures. That said, also, do not despise prophecies (1 Thess 5:20-21) and recall that in the end times old and young alike will have dreams, visions, and prophecies. 

Joel 2:28 "“And afterward, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your old men will dream dreams, your young men will see visions."

The millennial reign of Christ is something mentioned in the book of Revelation. For those of you who over-spiritual and over-symbolize everything in Revelation to be non-literal, you can stop reading here if you want. For those of you who believe Revelation does have a solid basis in reality, keep reading. 

Stated in Revelation 20, this is what's said about the millennial reign of Christ: "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the Devil and Satan,[a] and bound him for 1,000 years. 3 He threw him into the abyss, closed it, and put a seal on it so that he would no longer deceive the nations until the 1,000 years were completed. After that, he must be released for a short time.

4 Then I saw thrones, and people seated on them who were given authority to judge. I also saw the people[b] who had been beheaded[c] because of their testimony about Jesus and because of God’s word, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and who had not accepted the mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with the Messiah for 1,000 years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were completed. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! The second death has no power[d] over them, but they will be priests of God and of the Messiah, and they will reign with Him for 1,000 years.

7 When the 1,000 years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 They came up over the surface of the earth and surrounded the encampment of the saints, the beloved city. Then fire came down from heaven[e] and consumed them. 10 The Devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

During the 1,000 year reign of Christ from Jerusalem, the church will be on the Earth ruling and reigning with him.  This begs the question, who will we be reigning over? I would theorize that we would reign over the remnants and survivors of the nations after the great tribulation and the wrath of God has been exhausted on the nations. Jesus is said to rule literally from Jerusalem with a "rod of iron" over the nations, smashing the nations to pieces like pottery. How does this work? I have no idea.  In fact, I really have no idea if there would even be survivors after the great tribulation.  It's just a guess based on logic. 

But the millennial reign fills me with wonder and intrigue and speculation. King Jesus will be ruling the entire planet, most likely the ruins of the nations and Israel, probably leading repair efforts, healing, and guidance toward salvation in Himself to the survivors. 

King Jesus has defeated the anti-Christ, the false prophet, and the evil one by the splendor of his return.  The body of Christ has returned with Him, to rule and reign with Him. Satan himself has been bound by an angel and locked away, so he is no longer able to deceive the nations, for one thousand years.

This is a sort of 7th day in the progression of history. A 1000 year seventh day, as the scriptures say a day is like a thousand years and a thousand years are like a day (2 Peter 3:8). 

Life spans are greatly extended during this time apparently. Given that the body of Christ has "returned" with Jesus, I can only assume that the body has reached glorification and therefore no longer carry sin natures, or the old bodies, but now have new glorified bodies. Once again that's supposition, but it would track with the processes in place currently.

What exactly takes place over these thousand years, I'm not certain. Perhaps the church continues to spread the message of salvation in Christ, with Christ himself leading the efforts from Jerusalem. Perhaps it's a more political effort, with Jesus gathering the nations into a coalition to rebuild on the Earth. But obviously this is all speculative.  

So I'd like to tell you about the dreams I've had, where I've felt certain cues that indicate I'm seeing myself in the millennial reign of Christ. 

I consistently see myself walking along beautiful pathways through massively overgrown wildernesses. Trees, branches, bushes, vines, all overgrown across these pathways.  These walking paths seem to be the last remnants of long overgrown highways. In fact as I would walk joyously along these paths, every few miles, I would come up upon an old cement structure, or a mound of dirt and foliage, and you could tell that this was where bridges and underpasses used to be long ago. 

I traveled with an incredible joy and purpose. That's why I believe the sin nature is completely gone for the body as this point during the millennial reign. I sensed internally that sin was no longer a danger. In fact, as I traveled, I would find groups of people hiding away in underpasses and underground places, and there was some sort of new rule in reality, where these people could in no way hurt each other, attack each other, sexually assault each other, or anything. And they didn't seem to need to eat. It was as if the law of death in reality had been suspended. These people were very afraid. They didn't understand what was happening. I think part of my mission was to go and minister to these people and explain to them what had happened. They seemed to have been through the great tribulation, and were terrified. They didn't know it was over. 

I think what I remember the most is the sense of safety I felt. I felt a great joy as well. It was like sin no longer held any danger to me. I was in Christ, glorified completely, and safe, unlike on the Earth right now, where sin is always a danger to the believer. And falling away is always a danger as well. In the millennial reign, we were safe in Christ.  And in great joy. 

I recall very clearly the post-apocalyptic nature of the dream. Everything was completely overgrown, like foliage and nature had retaken the Earth. There was very little left. That would make sense, given all the judgments in the great tribulation. 

But I find it hard to understand the concept that there could be any survivors from the great tribulation. I had thought that becoming a tribulation saint was the very last opportunity for someone to get born again and know Jesus. But maybe that isn't true.  Then again maybe it is true.  Time will tell. 

I'm very much looking forward to this millennial reign of Christ. As much as I'd like it to be over after the tribulation. As much as I'd prefer to go directly to the new heaven and new Earth, and the New Jerusalem.  I'm pleased to do it God's way.

One closing thought, there is something quite terrifying about the millennial reign of Christ: How it ends.  After the one thousand years are completed, Satan is released one last time to attempt to deceive the nations.  And it's just so shocking to read that he really completely succeeds. These are people who have seen Jesus literally ruling and reigning from Jerusalem for 1,000 years.  Yet it still says an army gathered around Satan numbering more than the grains of sand on a sea shore. So we're talking billions and billions of people, despite having seen Jesus face to face, are deceived by Satan, and join in an army to attack Jerusalem. 

I'm guessing the church is recalled to Jerusalem at the end of the 1,000 years. And we watch as Satan gathers billions of people from the nations and marches on Jerusalem. But we see in Revelation, that Jesus calls down fire from heaven, as this army surrounds Jerusalem, and they are completely destroyed. Satan is captured once again, to never be released again.  

The old Earth passes away, the old heavens pass away, and the new heavens and new earth come, and the New Jerusalem comes out of heaven and lands on the new Earth. And we live in peace there with God forever.  It's just so crazy to me that even after the great tribulation and the millennial reign, that Satan would succeed in deceiving billions of people to rebel against God yet again. It's haunting to me.  Would this include the church?  Could the church during the millennial reign be deceived as well? Hard to say. That would contradict the idea that we are completely safe during this time.  But that's just speculation.  So hard to say.  I guess we'll find out eventually won't we? See you there Christian. See you at the millennial reign, if I don't see you before then.