Isaiah 60:1–22, The Millennium and Heaven on Earth
Read Isaiah 60. How many of the prophecies contained in this chapter have been fulfilled? Can you think of any time in Israel’s troubled history when the blessed promises of Isaiah 60 had been fulfilled in any kind of a meaningful way? The answer to all of these questions is obviously, no! If YHVH’s Word is true, then a time is yet to come when these prophecies will become a reality. These prophecies will be fulfilled during the Millennium and in the New Heaven and the New Earth when the New Jerusalem comes down from heaven (or “heaven on earth,” see Rev 21 and 22).
What Scripture Says About the Messianic Era or Millennium
- The Millennium or Messianic Era lasts for a 1000 years. (Rev 20:2–7)
- The regathering back into the land of Israel (the Promised Land) of Israelites who have been scattered throughout the earth in fulfillment of YHVH’s promises to Abraham is to occur. (Jer 32:36–38; Isa 14:1–2; Isa 60: 4, 9)
- Ancient Israel entering the Promised Land is a type of believers entering into the Millennium. (Heb 3–4)
During the Millennium the following is to occur:
- Elohim will live with his people. (Ezek 37:26–28)
- David will rule as King over Israel. (Ezek 37:24–25)
- YHVH’s annual feasts will be kept by all people. (Ezek 46:3–6; cf Col 2,16–17)
- YHVH’s government will be established on Mount Zion in Jerusalem. Torah will go forth from Mount Zion and the nations will go up to Mount Zion to worship YHVH in the house (temple) of YHVH. (Mic 4:1–2)
- A highway of YHVH, or a highway of holiness will lead to Zion. (Isa 35:8–10)
- Whether literal or spiritual, living waters will flow from Jerusalem and Yeshua’s throne. In Ezekiel’s vision, water was flowing from under the threshold of the temple toward the east. (Ezek 47:1; also Zech 14:8)
- On the banks of this river, there were very many trees on each side. (Ezek. 47:6–9)
- People will live to a very old age. (Isa 65:20)
- Crowds of people will flock to Jerusalem. (Zech 2:1–4; Isa 49:14)
- The temple in Jerusalem will be rebuilt. (Zech 6:15; 14:20–21; Hag 2:6–9)
- The Messiah will be king over the whole world. (Zech 6:9–13; Isa 11:1–5; Rev 20:6; 5:9–10)
- The nations that do not want to serve and obey YHVH will be destroyed. (Isa 60:12; Zech 14:16–19; Isa 9:5–7)
The Millennium is the fulfillment of many glorious prophetic promises YHVH has made concerning his people of Israel (including Christians). Many Christians see the Millennium as the place where the righteous Israelites (i.e. Jews) will reign with Messiah, while the Christians will be reigning spiritually in heaven. In other words, the Jews have a physical inheritance or kingdom on this earth, while the Christians have a spiritual inheritance and kingdom in heaven. For those who believe this way, the Millennium is a symbolic metaphor for heaven.
For those who believe that the Millennium is merely a symbolic metaphor, the 70 or so scriptures in the Tanakh dealing with the Messianic Age are assigned to the “church.” To interpret Scripture in this manner is a form of spiritualization of the peshat or plain meaning of these prophecies and a form of replacement theology where the church as replaced the Jewish people. Much of this confusion stems from not knowing who Israel is as opposed to the Jews (descended primarily from the tribe of Judah, which is only one of the twelve tribes of Israel).
In my understanding of the Millennium, we take literally the words of Yeshua when he said that the meek would inherit the earth (Matt 5:5), not heaven. For us, this means that YHVH’s people, the saints, made up of both the Jews and those of the nations who combine in Yeshua to become the one new man and nation of Israel (Eph 2:11–19) and part of the olive tree of Israel (Rom 11:17ff), and are the seed of Abraham (Rom 4:16; 9:8–11; Gal 3:7, 8, 14, 28–29). These people will rule with Yeshua as kings and priests in his kingdom on earth for a thousand years during his millennial kingdom on earth (Rev 1:6; 5:10).
Hi Natan. Regarding Is 65:20….who exactly are those who will live to be old? SO many different opinions about the who’s and when’s….The dead in Yeshua rise first and then “we” who remain will be changed….Is this before or after the Millennium in your opinion? Those with new bodies would not die…. Thanks:<)
Shalom! It is before the Millenium. At the trumpets blow Yeshua will be on his way down to end the war against Jerusalem. Befor he puts his feet on the mount of Olives, he will meet the ressurected set apart ones AND those set apart ones who live at that time, in the sky. They will be rewarded for their faithfulness becoming a set apart, royal “priesthood” serving under Yeshua the King of kings through the millennium. Their responsibilities will be according to how they used their talents while living.
On who the people are that live to be 100 years old in Isaiah 65:20, although I don’t disagree with Lars’ understanding of Yeshua’s return for his saints at the seventh trump, I’m not convinced that the 100 year-old children is pre-millennial consideration. This is because of the context of the verse, where earlier the new heavens and earth are mentioned a few verses earlier. When are the new heavens and earth? Millennial or post-millennial? I tend to lean toward the latter, since it seems that the present heavens and earth will be burned up at the lake of fire event which happens after the millennium. Moreover, Isa 65:18 speaks of Elohim creating a (new) Jerusalem. I can in no way see this as a pre-millennial event. So who are these people who live to be 100 years old? I could be wrong about this, but I have tended to believe that this is referring to those people who will be living during the millennium under ideal conditions both physically and spiritually, who will live long, prosperous and full lives. During this time, anyone who hasn’t accepted Yeshua as their redeemer will be accursed, that is, they won’t receive eternal life and will die in the lake of fire after the white throne judgment, which chronologically, according to Revelation, occurs after the 1000 year long millennium. This is my best shot at answering this question.
Hi Lars. Thanks….that’s what I thought. So who are those who live to be old?
Revelation 7:9-10 and Revelation 7:13-17 ?
John
Hi Darlene,
I think the answer is most clear in Zechariah 14:16 ‘Finally, everyone remaining from all the nations that came to attack Yerushalayim will go up every year to worship the King.’
I am certain this is talking about life during the millenium, after Elohim has poured out His wrath on the earth. So all the survivors from all the nations plus the Israelites will be the ones who live during the millenium and will live to be old. The firstfruits however, will reign with Yeshua; they already have their spirit body and their ‘ticket’ for eternal life.
Blessings, Sonja
Sonja, that is my understanding as well.
Thank you Sonja! Do I understand correctly that the first fruits are those believers risen from the grave PLUS those changed in the twinkling of an eye….or is the “twinkling” much later….after the Millenium?
The first fruits are those raised at Yeshua’s second coming at the end of this age and just before the Millennium. Yeshua himself is the first of the first fruits to be raised from the grave to everlasting life. If there are first fruits, then there must be second fruits. Those physical humans who live during the Millennium will have their chance to receive eternal life later. These are the second fruits.
Thanks. I still want your opinion of the “we who remain,” of 1Cor 15:52. First the dead in Yeshua rise (I get that part)….those who are changed….is that right then or AFTER the Millennium? I have always thought it was right after the dead rise, but I have read a few things you wrote that made me think you might see it differently, so wanting to clarify and reconsider if I have misunderstood. When doesn’t matter as long as it happens (!) but inquiring minds want to know:<) Have a good week:<) drb
Hi Darlene,
In 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 Paul talks about the same event than in 1 Cor 15:52. However, in Thessalonians, he says it in slightly different words, which might make it a bit clearer: “……then we who are left still alive will be caught up WITH THEM in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air…..”
(Jewish Study Bible)
Now a question for Natan!
In Revelation14:4 it talks about the 144,000 and it calls them there the firstfruits for God and the lamb.
Is this a different group of firstfruits or are these the same that will be caught up with the resurrected ones in the clouds….?
Blessings, Sonja