The 1000 Years

2Pe 3:3 knowing this first, that in the last days mockers shall come with mockery, walking after their own lusts,
2Pe 3:4 and saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for, from the day that the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation.
2Pe 3:5 For this they willfully forget, that there were heavens from of old, and an earth compacted out of water and amidst water, by the word of God;
2Pe 3:6 by which means the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:
2Pe 3:7 but the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.
2Pe 3:8 But forget not this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
2Pe 3:9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some count slackness; but is longsuffering to you-ward, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

"But the heavens and the earth which are now preserved by the same word, are reserved for fire"-when this happens, there will be no way to live on earth, and at the same time Great White Throne (Rev. 20.11ff) will take place after the 1000 year reign of Christ on earth. This is the last 1000 years when Christ reigns on earth in Person, a great length of period before the new city and new earth starts which follows in chapter 21.

For God a day to him is a great length of period, but to us it seems like a 1000 years.

These things have not happened yet before the 1000 years (Rev. 20.2-7):

1) An army of 200 million in the coming Great Tribulation in Rev. 9-"the horsemen [were] two hundred thousand thousand" (v.16).
2) A major loss of life (more than 2 billion people will die) in a short period of time of three and a half years-"the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone" (v.18). This reminds of us all those nuclear warheads.

"But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty [and] two months" (Rev. 11.2)

"And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty [and] two months" (Rev. 13.5)

3) During the 1000 years, the nations will no longer be deceived as they are now: "that he should deceive the nations no more" (Rev. 20.3).

4) All those included in the 1000 year reign in Revelation 20.4 would not be all Christians because many Christians, though have eternal life, shall lose the reward of reigning during the 1000 years. You can see clearly that not all Christians are martyred, nor do all Christians keep the word of His patience (Rev. 3.10), "watch therefore" (Matt. 24.42) and "pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy " (Luke 21.36).

Since Christians are not reigning on earth today with Christ over the nations, the 1000 years has not happened yet-

"And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (Rev. 20.4).

Those reigning on earth today are usually those lost in the world, for Satan has not been been thrown into the pit yet (which is not hell), for the 1000 year period, before being let out for a short while. Satan, today, is still the god of this world. If you say the 1000 years is now, then you are unwittingly worshipping the Devil.

"And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years" (Rev. 20.2).
"And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season" (Rev. 20.3).

We know that Satan today is neither in the pit, nor in hell; nor has the Antichrist been revealed yet. But after the Antichrist and the False Prophet are revealed, very soon after they will be thrown into Hell. Even then Satan won't be in Hell at that time because he will be in the pit.

"And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison [or pit]" (Rev. 20.7).

Satan is let out at the end of the 1000 years to show: 1) he will never repent, 2) man still had yet some hidden sin, 3) to show the good pleasure of God.

"And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever" (Rev. 20.10).

5) And of course, Jesus has not yet returned yet as He went up (Rev. 1.7, Acts 1.11, Zech. 14.4).