Thank you......yes, I see much harmony in our understanding too.....on so many things.
The thousand year reign of Christ as the chief administrator of God’s (Yahweh’s) Kingdom is outlined in scripture.
Rev ch 20 mentions the “1000 years” several times and describes the role of the “elect” (“saints”, “chosen ones”) and the whole reason as to why the Kingdom was established, who will rule in this kingdom, and what its function is.
Kingdom rule begins on earth with the apprehension of the devil and his imprisonment in what is described as an “abyss” (bottomless pit) picturing a condition of restraint for a period of 1000 years.
Rev 20:1-3...
“And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven with the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2 He seized the dragon, the original serpent, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for 1,000 years. 3 And he hurled him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not mislead the nations anymore until the 1,000 years were ended. After this he must be released for a little while.”
So we have a 1000 years where there will be no interference from the devil on this earth; a time set aside for the accomplishment of God’s purpose concerning mankind....a period of restoration, of healing and of peace.....but satan’s imprisonment is not permanent....it serves God’s purpose, as he returns mankind to a sinless condition, including resurrected ones who perhaps did “vile things” in their former life. Satan’s influence on mankind has been global.
He is to be “released for a little while” after the expiration of that period, to test mankind one last time.
Rev 20:4-6....
“And I saw thrones, and those who sat on them were given authority to judge. Yes, I saw the souls of those executed for the witness they gave about Jesus and for speaking about God, and those who had not worshipped the wild beast or its image and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand. And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for 1,000 years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the 1,000 years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 6 Happy and holy is anyone having part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and of the Christ, and they will rule as kings with him for the 1,000 years.”
This is describing the role of the ‘chosen ones’ who are given authority to judge.
(We remember that God also had human judges for his people in Israel’s day.)
These ones are pictured as ‘not worshipping the wild beast or its image’ (the beastly human governments and their agency the United Nations, who up till now has been an inept agency for peace) refusing to receive “the mark on their forehead and on their hand”. As human rulership becomes more controlling, and the UN is given more power by the nations, mankind will be forced to serve the beastly system in ways that true Christians cannot comply with, because they are “no part of the world”. Their refusal will bring hardship on them as they will be shut off from the services now provided in a system where dependence on governmental provisions has become a necessity. There will be ‘no buying or selling’ under this system...(Rev 13:17) so advancing to digital currency will give them great power.
Through corrupt human rulership, they have systematically, over many decades undermined self-sufficiency to such an extent that most humans cannot function without the basic fundamentals for living provided by these governments.......without their supply, be that food, water, electricity or any other government controlled service, we can see why some will be compelled to comply, even against their better judgment.
Revelation is about “the Lord’s day”...”the time of the end” that Daniel wrote about.
The book of Daniel and John’s Revelation are very similar in many ways, both speaking about our day....the time of the last human rulers in this world, just before Christ comes as judge of the “sheep and the goats”.
The ones who will rule with Christ in the Kingdom are identified as 144,000 (Rev 7:4; 14:1-4) These “come to life” during this period called “the time of the end” and it says that their role will be as “kings and priests” for the entire period of 1000 years.....the time it will take to undo all the damage that satan’s exercise of power has brought to mankind and the damage humans have done to the earth itself under his evil influence. (1 John 5:19)
It is a time of restoration and healing under the watchful eye of our God-given rulers, who are incorruptible and have proven “faithful unto death”.....these are the “saints” or “holy ones of the Supreme One”.
Daniel 7:27 confirms this...
“And the kingdom and the rulership and the grandeur of the kingdoms under all the heavens were given to the people who are the holy ones of the Supreme One. Their kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all rulerships will serve and obey them.’”
So we will have one world government....not a corrupt imitation one of man’s making, but one provided by Yahweh himself, whose rulers are carefully chosen for their role as ‘kings and priests’ over redeemed mankind, bringing us back to the life we lost in Eden....everlasting life in paradise on earth.
The resurrections that Jesus performs are two separate ones...the “first” is for the elect, who will “come to life” and rule with Christ during this period called “the time of the end” where Jesus has been “present”, overseeing all that has been happening in this unprecedented time in human history.....this includes his assignment to preach about God’s Kingdom “
in all the inhabited earth for a witness to all the nations” before “
the end” comes. (Matt 24:14; Matt 28:19-20)
We know that Jesus said he would be “with” his disciples in this assignment, but we also see the churches of Christendom making excuses for why they don’t participate in it. The truth of the matter is, none of them really know what “the good news of the kingdom” is! And if Christ is not “with” them, then they would never succeed anyway. The fact that they are MIA is telling.
Now, when it says that “the rest of the dead did not come to life till the thousand years were ended” this is describing the condition of the entire redeemed human race.....now gaining complete freedom from the flaws inherited from Adam, and being able to stand firm in faith when the devil is released from his prison for one last test on a perfect human race......there can be no excuses or appeals to a sinful nature at this point. Humanity will be in the same condition as Adam and his wife were, just after their creation. All who pass that final test will inherit the life God meant for them in the beginning, with the full experience of the abuse of free will behind them, they will never want the world to go there again....and God will never allow it to plague his purpose ever again. Precedents are set so that no rebel will ever be allowed to abuse their free will in the future. We see that this precious gift was turned into a curse when it was misused.....
Have the human race learned by their horrible experience? Sadly the majority have not. “Few” are on the road to life because the “many” are busy fulfilling their own will, and not “doing the will” of the Father. (Matt 7:21-23)
God is ‘drawing’ his people to the truth, as we speak, ready for the war that is coming.....not a war of man against man, but a war of satan’s seed against Jesus and his angelic forces.....(Rev 16:13-16) It will be the greatest calamity ever seen on this earth, but the faithful will come through it and with God’s protection and blessing, will begin life as we were meant to live it. In a “new earth”, governed by a “new heavens”, where “righteousness is to dwell”. (2 Peter 3:13)
These are exciting and unprecedented times...a time for action, not complacency.