Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:9–10

What are you looking forward to? An upcoming trip? The end of a medical treatment? A visit with your children? A new car? The birth of a child?

A sense of anticipation is vital for mental health, and that's why the Bible ends with the book of Revelation. Without Revelation, the Bible would have no ending. Or rather, it would end with the book of Jude, which is a wonderful book about contending for the faith. But it's not a book that heralds God's future. It doesn't leave us with descriptions of our future hope.

After the Battle of Armageddon, Satan will be bound, and Christ will establish His earthly kingdom. We often refer to this period as the Millennium. That word doesn't appear in most of our English Bibles, but it is described in many chapters and verses of Scripture. This golden age of Christ will last for a thousand years.

The Millennium begins at the end of history, yet it is a prelude to all that awaits us. Just as dinner parties often begin with hors d'oeuvres that whet our appetites for the main course, this thousand–year earthly reign of King Jesus will provide a foretaste of heaven. It will not be as perfect, wonderful, or spectacular as the eternal earth, but it will preview some of its coming features.

Many passages of Scripture describe the Millennium as a time of previously unknown joy, abundance, health, purity, peace, and prosperity (Micah 4:3; Ezekiel 34:26–27; Isaiah 11:9; 14:7; 65:20). Sin will be kept in check and disobedience will be dealt with quickly. Christ's kingdom will be a holy kingdom, and God's people will spend that time ruling and reigning over the earth with Jesus as our King.

The Purity of the Millennium

During Christ's reign, there will be no war. Kingdoms will be unified. Even the animal kingdom will be at peace (Micah 4:2–3; Isaiah 11:6–9). It will be a time of unrestrained prosperity, and all want will be eliminated (Isaiah 35). Christ's kingdom will be a holy kingdom (Isaiah 11:9; 25:9; 66:23; Zechariah 13:2). Satan will be bound and sealed so that he cannot deceive the nations.

In Christ's kingdom, life spans will stretch far beyond one hundred years. Everyone will enjoy perpetual health. The extraordinary life spans that were common before the Flood will reappear (Isaiah 65:20). The Millennium will be an exhilarating era of happiness, contentment, and personal joy. It will be the answer to many ancient and anguished prayers (Isaiah 9:3–4; 12:3; 14:7–8; 25:8–9; 30:29: 42:1, 10–12).

The Purpose of the Millennium

The Millennium will serve several purposes:

1. The Millennium will reward God's people: There are scores of promises scattered throughout the Bible, both in the Old Testament and in the New Testament, guaranteeing rewards for faithful service to God (Matthew 16:27; 25:34; Revelation 22:12). Part of our heavenly reward will be to rule and reign with Christ during the Millennium. Each of us will have opportunities to serve the Lord based upon our faithfulness in serving Him right now.

2. The Millennium will respond to the prophets' predictions: The prophets of the Old Testament predicted Christ's earthly reign (Psalm 72:11; Isaiah 9:7). Many Jews rejected Christ at His first coming because they expected Him to fulfill all the Old Testament prophecies by arriving as a conquering king. Without the Millennium, the kingly prophecies would not be fulfilled.

3. The Millennium will respond to the Lord's Prayer—or as I like to call it, the Disciple's Prayer (Matthew 6:8–13): One day, when Jesus returns, His kingdom will come, and His will shall be done on this earth. If it were not so, He would not have instructed His disciples to pray this way.

4. The Millennium will reemphasize man's depravity and the necessity of Christ's death: During the Millennium, those faithful servants who survive the Tribulation will bear children in whom the sin nature will reside because the fallen human nature of man will not be eliminated until eternity begins at the end of the Millennial Kingdom. At the end of the thousand years, Satan will be released, and he will stir up a final rebellion against God just as he did in the Garden of Eden (Revelation 20:1–3, 7–8). That's right—even though Christ is ruling and reigning on the earth during the Millennium, some will yet be deceived. This demonstrates just how deeply man needs a Savior. Man can never achieve righteousness apart from God.

In this present age, the swift return of Christ fuels our anticipation of coming events—and we're living in days when we need all the reassurance we can find. Peter said, "Therefore, beloved, looking forward to these things, be diligent…" (2 Peter 3:14).

Don't live in the past, and don't become so bogged down with present burdens that you forget your future glory. Things are going to get better—much better! Jesus is coming! Let's look forward to that day and each day after it!