Yeah, there's Old Testament prophecy about Christ's future Millennial reign over the nations, the end of Zechariah 14 being one of the best proofs.
We have to stay with what's written in God's Holy Writ, even when we don't yet understand some things. Otherwise, why should our Heavenly Father show us anything in His Word if we won't take it as written? But when we do listen to Him in His Word, and agree with what is written, even though at that time we may not totally understand, that's when He begins to show us more that will eventually explain it as we stay in His Word in study.
In 2 Peter 3, he revealed there are 3 world earth ages, the last one being God's eternity of the new heavens and a new earth. That is not the time yet when Jesus returns to reign over the unsaved for a thousand years. Christ's future Millennial reign will actually be part of this present world earth age, a 2nd earth age. If you understand about the idea of God's sabbath day, then that is pretty much what Christ's 1,000 years future reign is going to represent, a seventh day rest, the idea of a 'day' meaning a thousand years (2 Peter 3:8). That is why the wicked will still exist after Christ's return, and even at His return the "resurrection of damnation" will be there too under His direct reign (see Revelation 3:9 where Jesus told His elect of the Church of Philadelphia that He will make those of the "synagogue of Satan" to come worship Him at their feet. Only after Christ's future return will that happen).
What will be the difference? Some... earth changes are going to begin at His return. One of the main changes will be the change at the twinkling of an eye on the last trump and the resurrection. The sudden destruction on the "day of the Lord" will be about God's consuming fire burning man's works of this world off the surface of the earth, a destruction similar to the flood of Noah's day, except by fire instead. With Noah's flood, God did not completely destroy the earth, but only cleansed its surface of wickedness. The idea is the end of this present 'world' time, but not the end of the earth literally. Apostle Paul shows this at the end of Hebrews 12.
What that is going to do is usher us into the next world, not a new heaven and new earth yet, but to a new manifesting upon this earth. We all will be in bodies of incorruption, even for the wicked. The difference will be, those without Christ will still be subject to perishing at the "second death". The first death is death of our flesh body, the second death is the destruction of the unbeliever's spirit body with soul into the future "lake of fire", along with Satan, the wicked, death, and the abode of hell. None of that is going to be of the time of the new heavens and a new earth of God's Eternity. The wicked unsaved will not see God's Eternity, because the smoke of their burning is all they will know. Thus the casting into the future "lake of fire" at the end of Revelation 20 is the actual dividing point between this 2nd world earth age, and God's Eternity.
Moreover, when God's consuming fire burns man's works off this earth, and we all are changed, like Isaiah 25 points to all nations, this time in flesh bodies is going to be over. The heavenly dimension that is invisible behind a veil today is going to be uncovered for all to see. This is probably the most difficult thing written in God's Word for many to understand, because of the deceptions the flesh lusts and desires can cause. But make no mistake, the change to a "spiritual body" type is exactly what Apostle Paul taught in 1 Corinthians 15 for the world to come.
I agree that OT passages leave a legitimate ? Regarding the Millennial period, but I must disagree with some of the things you see in the NT pointing to this period.
2 Peter 3 seems clear, I would think, about what happens when Christ returns:
2 Peter 3:7
But by the same word the heavens and earth that now exist are stored up for fire, being kept until the day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly.
2 Peter 3:10
But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.
What ‘3’ ages is being spoken of here? Unless its the age before the destruction by water that is referred to..but that is an age past, and thus cannot be speaking of a coming Millennium. Which means any reference to a future age must be the eternal one…which indeed seem verified as references to ‘the age to come’ always speak in ‘eternal’ language.
But, let’s return to 2 Peter 3, and what it reveals about Christ’s return and what HAPPENS with it. We see in the verses above that with the ‘day of judgement’ comes the ‘destruction of the ungodly’. That day, Peter tells us, the ‘day of the Lord’, will ‘come like a thief’ and the ‘heavens will pass away, be burned up and dissolved’.
So…the ungodly are judged and the heavens melt. We can also assume from these verses that when the ‘heavens’ burn, so too will the earth; the passage speaks of the earth, as well as the heavens being ‘kept for fire’…plus, there is the rather obvious fact that if the cosmos explodes/implodes/melts…so too would this globe.
What does this tell us? Well…for the second, to keep digging.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10
and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
We see again that WHEN Christ comes ‘on that day’, unbelievers will be judged and suffer ‘eternal destruction’.
What about believers? What happens to them WHEN Christ returns?
1 Thessalonians 4:15-17
For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.
1 Corinthians 15:22-23
For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ.
1 Corinthians 15:51-52
Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
John 11:24
Martha said to him, “I know that he will rise again in the resurrection on the last day.”
John 5:28-29
Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
OKay…so, what do we have? We have Christ returning on a day of judgement for the unbelievers…a day where the cosmos will burn. We also have him returning to resurrect his ‘children’…alive and dead. The dead will be ‘caught up’ first, those alive not far behind…all receiving their resurrection bodies. Regardless whether you believe there to be a Pre-trib Rapture tucked into some of these passages, the facts within them speak loudly; AT his coming, all those who are his, will receive resurrection bodies.
When you consider that there are passages that link the judgement of wicked AND the righteous (both living and dead) at the ‘coming’ of Jesus (Matt 25: 31-46; John 5:28-29)…then I think we come away from all these passages with at least one big question….
If people…any people…are going into the Millennial period in ‘natural’ bodies…how do they get past the return of Jesus IN said natural bodies? Every passage that speaks of Christ’s return seems to overwhelmingly speak of the righteous being glorified, and the unrighteous being judged. I cannot see how you can squeeze or insert natural bodies, sin or death past 1 Cor 15…and it seems to me that for a Millennial period to occur, you’d need all 3.
So, yes, I absolutely agree we need to stay in God’s holy word, even when things don’t make sense…but I suppose I’m tending to err on the side of viewing the OT through the lens of NT fulfilment in Christ. We KNOW so much in the OT was pointing to Christ, we KNOW that he and the Apostles interpreted some wild OT prophecies as fulfilled in Christ, or in Pentecost…even when it makes not much sense to our modern eyes. So…while I understand you disagree with me, do understand I haven’t landed where I am with a cavalier attitude to the importance to scripture.
p) agree that there biblical validity for a Millennial period from some of these OT passages, just in how they speak of it. Where I struggle with it is how we then come to the NT and find nothing similar; we have this age, and the age to come; this age being now, with sin and death and rebellion…the age to come being eternity with none of those things.
