In Revelation after the rapture and God has defeated Satan what is the 1000 years for or represent?

Answer 1

Answer:

Many denominations of modern professing Christianity teach their variations of the "rapture doctrine"... each one differing in concept and the timing of when Jesus Christ actually does "gather His saints unto Himself."

If I may borrow from The Bible on this one, I have to say to all the denominations: "...Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures..." (Matt.22:29).

All of it, of course, is based upon another popular doctrine taught by many religions, that man is an "immortal soul" that cannot die. Which means that when we die we don't really die, but go to some other place to live. Commonly thought to be "heaven or hell."

Again, the Bible nowhere says, "go to heaven" or "go to hell..." any more than it says "rapture," but these doctrines are heavily promoted by modern Christianity as true nonetheless.

As stated, however, the various denominational raptures each begin with a couple of misunderstood passages in the Bible regarding Jesus' prophesied return that seem to be just ambiguous enough to cause the confusion that exists among modern Christians.

It's this confusion about the timing of the "rapture"... as well as the misunderstanding that Jesus defeated Satan at the time of the "temptation"... that contributes to why most of modern professing Christianity don't understand what the thousand years are for.

If God and all His saints will be up in heaven... ruling on the earth for a thousand years seems quite pointless. Unless, maybe, the teaching of all the denominations that God is trying to "get everyone He can into heaven before time runs out" isn't really God's end game plans after all.

The basic teaching of the "rapture" is that Jesus doesn't return to the earth at all, but makes a near-miss swooping trajectory through earth's cloudy breathable atmosphere with His angels... "rapturing" all His saints back up into heaven with Him on a return-course flight plan, where they'll be safe from bad things happening to them for evermore. (end of God's plan: all good people live happily ever after... while all their unsaved children and grandchildren, at the same time they are getting their "harp lessons," are frying in hell forever after)

Fortunately, that's not what the Bible says... and the nonsense does leave the thousand year rule of Christ and His saints on the earth that the Bible does talk about hanging in confusion and unfulfillment as the question attests.

"...Thou (Jesus)... hast made us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign on the earth." (Rev.5:9-10)

"Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years." (Rev.20:6)

How the denominations explain how they are "reigning on the earth" while they're up in heaven provides some interesting story-telling. But the Truth about the "rapture" is that God's saints are only "meeting Christ in the clouds" as He makes His descent upon the earth. Jesus will send His angels to gather them up there with Him, change them into immortal sons of God and prepare them for the coming Battle at the place called Armageddon before continuing His descent.

The Truth of the "rapture" is that it's the time when Jesus Christ returns to the earth. As He approaches the earth with His angelic army to smash man's governments in His hostile takeover of the planet, as the two prophetic dreams in Daniel 2 and 7 reveal... they will make a 24-hour long circumference around the earth, gathering the saints of God, living and dead.

"...Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light... and THEN shall appear the sign of the Son of Man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes (nations) of the earth mourn, and THEY SHALL SEE THE SON OF MAN COMING in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. 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." (Matt.24:29-31)

They aren't raptured into heaven as the misinformed denominations teach. At least not the "third heaven" of the Father's throne. They will be gathered to Christ in the "FIRST" heaven where there are clouds, within the breathable earth's atmosphere before accompanying Him back down into battle.

The throne of Jesus Christ isn't in the third heaven... His Father's throne is there. Jesus' throne is on the earth. His is the THRONE OF DAVID!

"...behold, thou shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a Son, and shalt call His name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord shall give unto Him THE THRONE OF HIS FATHER DAVID: and He shall reign over the House of Jacob for ever; and of His Kingdom there shall be no end." (Luke 1:31-33)

There is no dialogue of "going to heaven" in the Bible. The simple Truth speaks of an "earthly throne" which is much more conducive to the prophesied thousand year rule of God's Kingdom on the earth.

It's little wonder at the confusion among the hundreds of denominations of modern Christianity regarding the thousand year rule, when they are being fed erroneous ideas that they will be up in heaven.

"...the saints of the Most High shall take the Kingdom, and possess the Kingdom for ever, EVEN FOR EVER AND EVER." (Dan.7:18)

Not a Kingdom in heaven... but a Kingdom on the earth... over all the nations of the earth: "...THY KINGDOM COME. THY WILL BE DONE IN EARTH, as it (already) is in heaven..." (Matt.6:10).

The thousand year rule of Jesus Christ and His saints on the earth will be the beginning of the salvation of the nations of the earth... when they shall be ruled by the laws of God... by His Commandments... and the Bible will be the Constitution of the Kingdom. The world will learn how to live God's way.

"And the Lord SHALL BE KING OVER ALL THE EARTH: in that day shall there be One Lord, and His name one." (Zech.14:9)