The Millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with His saints in heaven between the first and second resurrections. At this time scripture shows how will God finally get rid of evil and what will happen to Satan?

The Bible shows us as it describes what will happen at end in the events of the Millennium. In the Millennium, the thousand-year period of which the twentieth chapter of Revelation speaks, Satan's influence over the earth will be restricted, and Christ will reign with His saints (Rev. 20:1-4).

If we look in the Bible, we see Revelation 19 and 20 belong together, there is no break between these chapters. They describe Christ's Second Coming (Rev. 19:11-21) and immediately continue with the Millennium, their sequence indicating that the millennium begins when Christ returns.

Revelation show the three powers that gather the nations of the world to oppose Christ's work and His people immediately before the Second Advent, as a dragon, a beast, and a false prophet (Rev. 16:13). When "the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies" assemble to make war against Christ at the time of His return, the beast and the false prophet are destroyed (Rev. 19:19, 20). What follows in Revelation 20, the chapter on the millennium, deals with the fate of the third member of the demonic trio, the dragon. He is taken captive and cast into the bottomless pit, where he remains for 1000 years. In Revelation 24, it is with Christ's second coming, when the kingdoms of this world are destroyed, that God sets up His kingdom of glory, a kingdom that will last forever (Dan. 2:44). It is then that His people will begin their reign with him in heaven, so lets look into it further.

At the Second Coming, the first resurrection takes place. The righteous, the "blessed and holy," are raised for "over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years" (Rev. 20:6).

We see the righteous go to Heaven. After the resurrection of the righteous dead, they and the living saints are caught up "to meet the Lord in the air" (1 Thess. 4:17). Then Christ will fulfill the promise He made just before He left this world: "'I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also'" (John 14:2, 3). Jesus described the place to which He will take His followers as "'My Father's house,'" where there are "'many mansions,'" or dwelling places (John 14:2). Here Jesus refers to the New Jerusalem, which does not come to this earth until the end of the millennium. At the Second Coming, then, when the righteous "meet the Lord in the air," their destination is heaven—not the earth that they have just left. Christ does not establish His kingdom of glory on the earth at this time. He does that at the end of the 1000 year millennium.

Christ compared His return to what happened at the Flood and in the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah (Matt. 24:37-39; Luke 17:28-30). His comparison makes two points: first, that the destruction that came caught the wicked by surprise; and second, that what came was destruction, the Flood "'took them all away'" (Matt. 24:39). The fire and brimstone that rained down upon Sodom "'destroyed them all'" (Luke 17:29; see also Matt. 13:38-40). At the Second Advent Christ will descend from heaven with His armies as the rider on the white horse whose name is "King of Kings and Lord of Lords" and strike the rebellious nations of the world. After the beast and the false prophet are destroyed, "the rest" of Satan's followers will die and there will be no survivors, for they "were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh" (Rev. 19:21).

Describing this scene, Scripture has said, "The Lord comes out of His place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity; the earth will also disclose her blood, and will no more cover her slain" (Isa. 26:21).

Now we see several things which come about so lets go over them:

The Earth Becomes Desolate. Since the righteous ascend to be with the Lord and the wicked are destroyed at His appearing, the earth stands for a time without human inhabitants. Scripture points to such a situation. Jeremiah said, "I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void; and the heavens, they had no light. I beheld the mountains, and indeed they trembled, and all the hills moved back and forth. I beheld, and indeed there was no man" (Jer. 4:23-25). Jeremiah's use of the terminology found in Genesis 1:2, "without form, and void," indicates that the earth is to become as chaotic as it was at the beginning of Creation.

Satan Is Bound. The events that take place at this time were foreshadowed in the scapegoat ritual of the Day of Atonement in Israel's sanctuary service. On the Day of Atonement the high priest cleansed the sanctuary with the atoning blood of the Lord's goat. Only after this atonement was fully completed did the ritual involving Azazel, the goat that symbolized Satan, begin (see chapter 23). Laying his hands on its head, the high priest confessed "'all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions, concerning all their sins, putting them on the head of the goat'" (Lev. 16:21). And the scapegoat was sent into the wilderness, "'an uninhabited land'" (Lev. 16:22).

Similarly, Christ, in the heavenly sanctuary, has been ministering the benefits of His completed atonement to His people; at His return He will redeem them and give them eternal life. When He has completed this work of redemption and the cleansing of the heavenly sanctuary, He will place the sins of His people upon Satan, the originator and instigator of evil. In no way can it be said that Satan atones for the sins of believers, Christ has fully done that. But Satan must bear the responsibility of all the sin he has caused those who are saved to commit. And as "a fit man" led the scapegoat into an uninhabited land, so God will banish Satan to the desolate and uninhabited earth.

John's vision of the millennium vividly portrayed the banishment of Satan. He saw that at the beginning of the thousand years "the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan" is chained and confined to "the bottomless pit" (Rev. 20:2, 3). This symbolically conveys the temporary ending of Satan's activities of persecution and deception; "he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished" (Rev. 20:3).

The term John uses— "bottomless pit" (Greek, abussos)—appropriately describes the earth's condition at this time. Battered by the seven plagues that immediately precede Christ's coming (see particularly Rev. 16:18-21) and covered with the bodies of the wicked, the earth is a scene of utter desolation.

Confined to this earth, Satan is "bound" by a chain of circumstances. Since the earth is devoid of any human life, Satan has no one to tempt or to persecute. He is bound in the sense that he has nothing to do.

Now lets look at the events during the 1000 years of the millennium with Christ in heaven with the Saints. At His second advent Christ takes His followers to heaven, to the dwelling places He has prepared for them in the New Jerusalem. Like Moses and the Israelites, the redeemed, filled with gratitude, sing a song of their deliverance—"the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying: 'Great and marvelous are Your works, Lord God Almighty! Just and true are Your ways, O King of the saints!" (Rev. 15:3).

We find the Saints reign with Christ during the 1000 years of the millennium. It is during the millennium that Christ will fulfill His promise to give the overcomers "'power over the nations'" (Rev. 2:26). Daniel saw that after the destruction of Christ's enemies "'the kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven, shall be given to the people, the saints of the Most High'" (Dan. 7:27). Those whom Christ raises in the first resurrection will reign with Him for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4). But in what sense can the saints be said to reign if they are in heaven and all the wicked are dead? Their reign will consist of involvement in an important phase of Christ's governing.

Then during the during the 1000 years of the millennium we see the judgment of the wicked. John saw that during the millennium the saints would be involved in judgment; he saw "thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them (Rev. 20:4). This is the time of the judgment of Satan and his angels that Scripture notes (2 Peter 2:4; Jude 6). It's the time when Paul's declaration that the saints would judge the world and even the angels (1 Cor. 6:2, 3) will come to pass.

The millennial judgment does not decide who is to be saved or lost. God makes that decision before the Second Advent; all those who were not either resurrected or translated then are forever lost. The judgment in which the righteous participate serves the purpose of answering any questions the righteous may have as to why the wicked are lost. God wants those to whom He has given eternal life to have full confidence in His leadership, so He will reveal to them the operations of His mercy and justice.

Imagine you were in heaven and you found that one of your loved ones whom you certainly expected to be there was not. Such a case might cause you to question God's justice and that kind of doubt lies at the very base of sin. To lay to rest forever any occasion for such doubts, and so to ensure that sin will never rise again, God will provide the answers to these questions during this review phase of the millennial judgment during the 1000 years.

The Biblical Research Institution has put out this interesting study on the millennium.

Basic questions about the Millennnium

Rick said in post #191968

Actually, Rick, Matt 24 37-42 refers to the close of probation rather than the Second coming

Matt 24:38 For as in the days that were before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day that Noe entered into the ark, 24:39 And knew not until the flood came, and took them all away; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be. 24:40 Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 24:41 Two [women shall be] grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left. 24:42 Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come.

It is the close of probation that will be like in the days of Noah. When the angel closed the door of the ark, probation had closed for the antediluvians. They knew it not until the floods came and took them all away.

". .. after Noah entered the ark, God shut him in and shut the ungodly out; but for seven days the people, knowing not that their doom was fixed, continued their careless, pleasure-loving life and mocked the warnings of impending judgment. 'So,' says the Saviour, 'shall also the coming of the Son of man be.' Matthew 24:39. Silently, unnoticed as the midnight thief, will come the decisive hour which marks the fixing of every man's destiny, the final withdrawal of mercy's offer to guilty men." (GC, p. 491.1]

This is speaking of the time when the judgment passes to the cases of the living. Silently, unnoticed as a thief, will come the hour that fixes every man's destiny: the close of probation.

Matthew 24:40, 41: "Then shall two be in the field; the one shall be taken, and the other left. Two women shall be grinding at the mill; the one shall be taken, and the other left."

One will be accepted, or accounted righteous, and one will be rejected or found wanting during the investigative judgment while Jesus is in the sanctuary above and we are still living upon the earth.

?The time of the judgment is a most solemn period, when the Lord gathers His own from among the tares....The one shall be taken. His name shall stand in the book of life, while those with whom he associated shall have the mark of eternal separation from God.?- { TM 234.2}

The thing is when probation is closed, then Christ ceases His intercession and then the Second Coming, so there is very little time between the two. Here us Great Controversy on this:

An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received 'the seal of the living God.' Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands, and with a loud voice says, 'It is done.' The Great Controversy, 613 (1911). {LDE 229.3}

When the work of the investigative judgment closes, the destiny of all will have been decided for life or death. Probation is ended a short time before the appearing of the Lord in the clouds of heaven....{GC 485.2} {LDE 230.2}

And more...

The One who has stood as our Intercessor; who hears all penitential prayers and confessions; who is represented with a rainbow, the symbol of grace and love, encircling His head, is soon to cease His work in the heavenly sanctuary. Grace and mercy will then descend from the throne, and justice will take their place. He for whom His people have looked will assume His right?the office of Supreme Judge.?The Review and Herald, January 1, 1889.

It is at midnight that God manifests His power for the deliverance of His people.... In the midst of the angry heavens is one clear space of indescribable glory, whence comes the voice of God like the sound of many waters, saying, 'It is done' (Revelation 16:17). That voice shakes the heavens and the earth.... {LDE 270.2}

When Christ shall cease His work as mediator in man's behalf, then this time of trouble will begin. Then the case of every soul will have been decided, and there will be no atoning blood to cleanse from sin. When Jesus leaves His position as man's intercessor before God the solemn announcement is made, ?He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still? (Revelation 22:11). Then the restraining Spirit of God is withdrawn from the earth.{Patriarchs and Prophets, 201 (1890). }

Here is from my notes...

Now SOP in Early Writings, Page 71, makes clear, at the end, we will be without an intercessor: ?I also saw that many do not realize what they must be in order to live in the sight of the Lord without a high priest in the sanctuary through the time of trouble. Those who receive the seal of the living God and are protected in the time of trouble must reflect the image of Jesus fully.? {EW 71.1} Its confirmed in the Great Controversy page 614, Ellen White states, ?When He leaves the sanctuary, darkness covers the inhabitants of the earth. In that fearful time the righteous must live in the sight of a holy God without an intercessor.? (GC 614).

Hebrews describes the role of Jesus as our mediator in heaven. And yet from SOP, its clear there will be a time when there is no mediator at all, and in that time, ?we must reflect the image of Jesus fully? SOP (7BC 977.11 ) says this represents the character of the people of God for these last days.
Now lets turn in our bibles and read John 16:25-27:

?25 These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall shew you plainly of the Father.26 At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you:27 For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God.?

So a time will come when Jesus will not pray to the Father on our behalf, because we will know that ?the Father himself loves us.? Now the statement from Ellen White that we are to ?stand in the sight of a holy God without a mediator (GC 425) is clearer and rather than words that strikes fear into our hearts, it changes into a promise. As long as we need a mediator we will have one. But in John 16, Jesus promises us a time will come when we won?t have a mediator because we won?t need one for those that truly know and love Christ.

In Great Controversy page 614 we read, ?When the third angel's message closes, mercy no longer pleads for the guilty inhabitants of the earth. The people of God have accomplished their work. They have received "the latter rain," "the refreshing from the presence of the Lord," and they are prepared for the trying hour before them. Angels are hastening to and fro in heaven. An angel returning from the earth announces that his work is done; the final test has been brought upon the world, and all who have proved themselves loyal to the divine precepts have received "the seal of the living God." Then Jesus ceases His intercession in the sanctuary above. He lifts His hands and with a loud voice says, "It is done;" and all the angelic host lay off their crowns as He makes the solemn announcement:?

Now let?s turn to a familiar verse in our Bibles in Revelation 22:11:

?He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.? Revelation 22:11

We find in Testimonies for the Church, vol. 5, Page 216 :

?It is now that we must keep ourselves and our children unspotted from the world. It is now that we must wash our robes of character and make them white in the blood of the Lamb. It is now that we must overcome pride, passion, and spiritual slothfulness....What are you doing, brethren, in the great work of preparation?..Those who are distrustful of self, who are humbling themselves before God and purifying their souls by obeying the truth these are receiving the heavenly mold and preparing for the seal of God in their foreheads. When the decree goes forth and the stamp is impressed, their character will remain pure and spotless for eternity. {5T 216.1}

I am trying to see how long from when Christ ceases intercession till the Second Coming, and my impression is a week or seven days, but got to study and see.

Rick said:


Well , we know that that it will a time at least as long as it takes for the 7 last plagues to fall. The death decree will also e issued during this time,causing God's people to flee to desolate and solitary places. i am sure it will be much longer than 7 days.

It is the close of probation for which we need to be prepared, for that will come as a thief in the night. Christ will come as no thief, as every eye will see Him, and since His reward will be with Him, it will be too late for any repentance or change of heart at His appearing..

It will be similar to the flood scenario. When the arc door closed , probation closed. A change of heart at the first sign of rain was of no avail.

Questions:
1. What does it mean to REFLECT the image of Christ completely?
How is this to be accomplished?

2. Does "no mediator" mean Jesus will no longer be with us? That we have to be "perfect" on our own?

3. Close of probation --
Probation has already closed for Ellen White and all her contemporaries, and even for a lot of people who lived since then, it may close for us any time --
Won't it be wiser to live in a state of harmony with God all the time, instead of projecting it to some end time event we have to prepare for that may or may not come in our life time?

Yes, and that is the main reason God has not revealed that time.to anyone.

Matt 24:36 But of that day and hour knoweth no [man], no, not the angels of heaven, but my Father only. 24:37 But as the days of Noe [were], so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.

God has warned us, however, that the judgment hour has come (Rev 14:7), Hopefully, this warning should add urgency to make sure there is sufficient oil in our lamps

2. Does "no mediator" mean Jesus will no longer be with us? That we have to be "perfect" on our own?

Read the wonderful promises that Jesus promised:
Hebs 13:5 he has said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Matt. 28:20 lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.

The most important thing is to cling to Jesus in faith and trust and love.
It's the only thing that will get us through. That's true in the relatively smaller trials now, and it will be true when everything goes wrong in the future, if we learn to fully trust Him now.

No mediator, means we need to have all our sins sent to the sanctuary NOW,
and be to be covered with His righteousness.
There will be no turning around once probation is closed.
Don't hang unto ANY cherished sins, settle it now with our wonderful Mediator and be covered by His blood.
Overcome? I've found that the only way to overcome sin, is to walk with One Who is righteous.
Reckon (consider) yourself dead to sin (for Christ was crucified for your sin) and now be alive in Christ. Faith is believing that Christ took your sins and gave you His righteousness, now WALK with Him literally making Him part of everything you do.

Reflect?
What is reflection? There is something greater than the reflection, which is the source of the reflection.
There's only one way to REFLECT the image of Christ --
That is to be walking so close to Him that the light of His character bounces off from you.
It does not mean we become little christs full of our own goodness, no, Christ is always the light, we are always dependent upon Him for light, and by being close to Him and inviting Him deep into our lives, then His light can and will be reflected by us.

Once probation closes, the saints are sealed, and we await the Second Coming...

Revelation 22:11-12 King James Version (KJV)
11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.
12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.