“You shall call his name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest; and the Lord God shall give unto him the throne of his Father David. And he shall reign over the house of Jacob forever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.” 

Reason for Blessing

A good reason for blessing is that Satan will be shut up in the bottomless pit for 1,000 years (see Revelation 20:1-3). Man will be tried under ideal conditions, but will miserably fail. This is God’s final test of man. The curse will be removed. The original curse put upon the earth, in Gen. 3:17-19, will be removed:

1. The productive potential of the earth will be unleashed. Amos 9:13 says, “Behold the days come, saith the Lord, that the plowman shall overtake the reaper.” See also Isaiah 30:26. One of the reasons for this increase is “The light of the moon shall be like the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold.”

2. The animal kingdom will lose its venom and ferocity (see Isaiah 11:6-9, Isaiah 35:9, and Isaiah 65:25).  

Thing will be like Eden before the Fall:

Sickness will be removed – no one will die from natural causes (see Isaiah 65:20). A man 100 years old will be considered a child. There will be no deformed persons, no imbeciles, no immaturity, and no retarded – No broken homes.

There will be peace throughout the world. No armies, navies, air forces, or police forces.

There will be a perfect economic system and economic prosperity.

There will be a unified language (see Zephaniah 3:9). “For then will I give to the peoples a pure language.” The curse of Babel will be removed.

There will be unified worship. The entire world will worship Jesus Christ.

Events yet to come:

1. The rising led by the Prince or Leader of Russia (see Revelation 20:7-9).

2. Satan cast into the Lake of Fire (see Revelation 20:10).

3. The Great White Throne (see Revelation 20:11-15).

4. The eternal state (see Revelation 20). 

Some time back, we asked, “Who would live during the Millennium?”

Now I want to ask, “Who will inherit heaven?”

What must I do to be saved?

Believe. See Acts 16:31. 

Believe what? Believe that you are a sinner - Believe that Christ died for sinners - Believe with all your heart that He can save you. Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus (see Romans 10:9). 

God’s Plan for the Earth (Zechariah 14:4-11)

Zechariah 14:4 - “His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives.” Describe the two phases of the Lord’s coming:

1. The rapture - in the air. Shout (Lord) – voice (Arch-angel) – trumpet. The promise of his coming (“I will come again”).

2. His coming to the earth (Acts 1, and 2 Thessalonians 1:7-8).

At his coming to the earth certain physical changes take place. 

Zechariah 14:5-9 - The Mount of Olives will cleave in two, leaving a great valley. Into this valley the remnant will flee for safety. (Zec. 14:5) This valley will extend from the eastern sea (Persian Gulf) to the hinder sea (The Mediterranean). Ultimately these seas will be joined and Jerusalem will become a seaport (the world’s greatest). See Zec. 14:8. Jerusalem will become the metropolis of the world (see Zec. 14:6-8). The Lord Jesus will reign supreme over all the earth (Zec. 14:9).

Who Will Inhabit the Earth During the Millennium?

The Inhabitants are:

1. The believing remnant of Jews (see Rev. 7).

2. An innumerable company of Gentiles (see Rev. 7) saved during the tribulation. (Not one saved soul left after the Rapture (Miracle) seven years later). 

The Judgment of the Nations (Matthew 25:31-46) – [Stress the individual aspect] There will be sheep on one side and goats on the other. Matthew 25:36 says, “Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, ‘Come you blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.’” Only believers will enter the kingdom. Matthew 25: 41 says, “Then shall he say also to them on the left hand, “Depart from me, you cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.” The martyrs of the Tribulation will be resurrected.

Note the two phases of the first resurrection (see Revelation 20:4-6):

1. The Church

2. Tribulation saints (O.T. saints resurrected here also). 

Why is this period, known as the Millennium, such a time of unprecedented blessing?

There are several reasons:

1. The Millennium is actually the fulfillment of all the promises given to Abraham and David.

2. To Abraham’s seed, God promised perpetual blessings, in the land (Palestine).

3. To David, God promised a royal house, a king, and an eternal throne (see Luke 1:32-33).