The Millennial Kingdom in Revelation

While reading the Book of Revelation (the only book in Scripture that promises a blessing to its readers) I felt led to write down the rewards for overcomers side-by-side. I saw that they seem to build upon each other in relation to positions of authority in the Millennial Kingdom!

To the church in Ephesus: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God (Rev 2:7). 

Using Scripture to interpret Scripture, we first learn about the tree of life in Genesis 2:9. God placed it in the middle of the garden and Adam and Eve were free to eat of it. Some authors suggest that this passage speaks to paradise regained in the Millennial Kingdom, or the promise of increased knowledge (Whipple).

To the church in Smyrna: He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. (Rev 2:11). 

The second death refers to salvation of the soul (1 Corinthians 3:12-15), which unlike salvation of the spirit (the free gift of eternal life) is the reward of gaining entrance into the Millennial Kingdom. This will be determined by whether our works are burned up or refined by fire at the judgment seat of Christ (2 Corinthians 5:10). Jesus himself tells us that some will only be able to see the Kingdom while others will be able to enter it (John 3:3, John 3:5, Matthew 7:21, Matthew 18:3). In the Matthew parables, He speaks of believers who will be cast into the outer darkness for the thousand years, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth (Matthew 8:12, 22:13, 25:30).

To the church in Pergamos: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. (Rev 2:17) 

In Exodus 16:15, manna was the miraculous food and sustenance the Lord provided each day for the children of Israel. The Revelation passage may refer to hidden wisdom that will be revealed to those who receive salvation of the soul. It also alludes to receiving a position of authority in the Millennial Kingdom. We see this in the type in Genesis 17:5, when God gave Abram a new name: Neither shall thy name any more be called Abram, but thy name shall be Abraham; for a father of many nations have I made thee (emphasis mine).

To the church in Thyatira: And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations; And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers: even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. (Revelation 2:26-28) 

These passages fulfill the parables of the talents (Matthew 25:14-30) and the minas (Luke 19:11-26), where Jesus said that those who are wise and faithful over a few things will be made rulers over many things in the Millennial Kingdom. 

To the church in Sardis: He that overcometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment; and I will not blot out his name out of the book of life, but I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. (Rev 3:5)  

If we let Scripture interpret Scripture, Revelation 4:4 tells us that those who are clothed in white raiment have the honor of sitting around the throne and are wearing crowns of gold.

To the church in Philadelphia: Him that overcometh will I make a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is new Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God: and I will write upon him my new name. (Rev 3:12) 

This appears to be another position of authority in the temple, a possible fulfillment of the type in 1 Kings 7:21 when Solomon set up the pillars in the porch of the temple.

To the church in Laodicea: 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. (Rev 3:21) 

Jesus had such harsh words for the Laodiceans.  He said that He would spew them out of His mouth. But those who open their eyes to the Kingdom truths, “come out” of this church, repent, and “sup” with Him can achieve this incredible reward, the highest position mentioned for overcomers.

Many teach that all believers are overcomers and will receive the same rewards, but Scripture clearly does not support this. When you understand the ramifications of the judgment seat of Christ, and can distinguish passages from Scripture that deal with salvation of the spirit (John 3:16, 11:26) from those that concern salvation of the soul (1 Peter 1:9), you see just how dangerous this teaching is.

Pretribulation Rapture: Fact or Fiction?

I watched a video this week where two pastors passionately argued that a pretribulation rapture is a work of fiction.  Their mission is to warn that believers will go through the tribulation.

When you do not understand the coming millennial kingdom and the events surrounding the judgment seat of Christ, it is easy to confuse parts of Scripture.  I believe this is what happened to these pastors.

They cited 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, which does describe the rapture (emphasis is mine):

¹⁶ For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. ¹⁷ After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.

Then they cited Matthew 24:29-31 as evidence of why there will not be a pretribulation rapture (emphasis is mine):

²⁹ Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: ³⁰ And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. ³¹ And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other.

But Jesus is not talking about the rapture here.  The pastors stressed the importance of comparing Scripture with Scripture, but they fell short.  They based their assumption on the mention of a trumpet in both 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and Matthew 24:31.  Look at a previous verse, Matthew 24:27:

For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

I believe this verse does refer to the rapture.  Believers will meet Jesus in the clouds in the air — which happens in an instant, like lightening — but no one on earth will see Him.  Immediately after the rapture, the seven-year tribulation begins.  Then after the tribulation everyone will see Christ Jesus when He visibly returns to earth.  This is the post-rapture and post-trib event that Jesus is describing in Matthew 24:29-31.  

We see a similar reference to Christ Jesus’ visible second coming to earth in Revelation 1:7 (emphasis mine):

“Look, he is coming with the clouds,” and “every eye will see him,
even those who pierced him”;
 and all peoples on earth “will mourn because of him.”
So shall it be! Amen.

The pastors also argued that Matthew 24:37-41 describes the rapture:

³⁷As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; ³⁹and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left.  (Matthew 24:37-41, emphasis mine)

I admit that these verses stumped me.  When you compare Scripture with Scripture, during the days of Noah God “took away” all the evil people in the flood.  This includes the nephillim, the giant offspring of fallen angels who mated with daughters of men (Genesis 6:4) to try and pollute the human gene pool and prevent the birth of Jesus.  While Matthew 24:37-41 sounds like the rapture, it would be contradictory.

I prayed for God’s wisdom, set my studying aside, and went to listen to John Herbert, a kingdom truth preacher I like.  Wouldn’t you know it he was talking that about that very passage!  Herbert says the parable is describing all believers at the judgment seat of Christ; that the Greek word for “taken” describes being an intimate associate or a joining to one’s self. 

Comparing Scripture with Scripture, Jesus tells us in Matthew 13:38 that the field is the world.  Grinding the mill also relates to the threshing floor, where the wheat will be separated from the chaff.  In the Matthew 24:40-41 parable, Herbert says Jesus is talking about believers and their works done while in the body that will either withstand the test of fire or be burned up at the judgment seat of Christ.  

Herbert also says the ones who are left behind in Matthew 24:40-41 are believers whose works do not withstand the test of fire.  They will be outside the millennial kingdom (in the outer darkness) for a period of 1,000 years.

An alternate theory is that Jesus is referring to the remnant of believers who will be saved during the tribulation period.  The ones who are taken are those who are unsaved and will suffer God’s wrath and judgment.  But I need to do more study on this before I make a conclusion. 

Either way, I am convinced that these verses — and all of the types — in Scripture do not support a post-tribulation rapture.

Remaining Awake

²That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour:³ Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts,⁴ And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. (2 Peter 3:2-4)

Our Redeemer’s return to establish His Millennial Kingdom is such a glorious and hope-filled truth that it should be proclaimed from every church pulpit.  But instead of exhorting us to die to self, and prepare for the day when we will stand before the Lord at the judgment seat of Christ, we are being bombarded with messages encouraging us to walk after our own lusts.  Just visit The Museum of Idolatry on any given day to see the leavening that is taking place. 


Why is it that so few see the Kingdom truths so clearly while so many do not?  

We know from Scripture that God can cause people to go into a deep sleep:

For the Lord hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes: the prophets and your rulers, the seers hath he covered. (Isaiah 29:10)   Royce Powell delivers a powerful sermon about this at Disciples Call.

Scripture warns that believers can fall asleep, too.  In the parable of the ten virgins (Matthew 25:1-10), Jesus tells us that while the Bridegroom tarried, all of the virgins slumbered and slept. The Latin word used here is katheudo.  It can mean to sleep literally and it can also mean to yield to sloth and sin or to be indifferent to one's salvation (Strong 2518).  It is interesting that it is in the imperfect tense, which refers to a continuing or repeated event or state (but I am not a biblical language scholar, so forgive me if I err).

Even the bride, who loves and longs for her Bridegroom in the Song of Solomon, is not immune to falling asleep:

I sleep, but my heart waketh: it is the voice of my beloved that knocketh, saying, Open to me, my sister, my love, my dove, my undefiled: for my head is filled with dew, and my locks with the drops of the night.  (Song of Solomon 5:1)

The race is long and I admit there are times when I am pulled away from His coming world into this earthly world.  One message that I find very encouraging comes from Cindy Ziegler, who speaks about when the bride’s spirit is willing (“my heart was awake”), but her flesh is weak (“I was asleep”).

We can also find strength in knowing that no matter what the masses may say, Scripture implores us to remain awake, alert, watching, and working for the Lord as we await the Bridegroom’s return:

³⁵Watch ye therefore: for ye know not when the master of the house cometh, at even, or at midnight, or at the cockcrowing, or in the morning:³⁶  Lest coming suddenly he find you sleeping.³⁷And what I say unto you I say unto all, Watch.  (Mark 13:35-37)

⁵Ye are all the children of light, and the children of the day: we are not of the night, nor of darkness.⁶Therefore let us not sleep, as do others; but let us watch and be sober. (1 Thessalonians 5:5-7)  

¹⁰Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.¹¹And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. ¹²The night is far spent, the day is at hand: let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. (Romans 13:10-12)