Millennium

The Millennium is the thousand-year reign of Christ with his saints during which Satan is bound. Christians differ on its nature: premillennialists expect a literal reign on earth after the Second Coming, postmillennialists a long age of the gospel's triumph before it, and amillennialists read it as Christ's present reign; the passages each view relies on are listed.

The thousand years

• Revelation 20:1-3
  ¹And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven with the key to the Abyss, holding in his hand a great chain. ²And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. ³And 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.And he threw him into the Abyss, shut it, and sealed it over him, so that he could not deceive the nations until the thousand years were complete. After that, he must be released for a brief period of time.
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• Revelation 20:4-6
  ⁴And 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.Then I saw the thrones, and those seated on them had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image, and had not received its mark on their foreheads or hands. And they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ⁵But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.The rest of the dead did not come back to life until the thousand years were complete. This is the first resurrection. ⁶Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years.
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• Revelation 20:7-10
  ⁷And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison, ⁸And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to assemble them for battle. Their number is like the sand of the seashore. ⁹And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.And they marched across the broad expanse of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. But fire came down from heaven and consumed them. ¹⁰And 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.And the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur, into which the beast and the false prophet had already been thrown. There they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
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Passages cited for an earthly reign

• Isaiah 11:6-9
  ⁶The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.The wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the goat; the calf and young lion and fatling will be together, and a little child will lead them. ⁷And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.The cow will graze with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox. ⁸And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice’ den.The infant will play by the cobra’s den, and the toddler will reach into the viper’s nest. ⁹They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the sea is full of water.
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• Isaiah 65:20-25
  ²⁰There shall be no more thence an infant of days, nor an old man that hath not filled his days: for the child shall die an hundred years old; but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed.No longer will a nursing infant live but a few days, or an old man fail to live out his years. For the youth will die at a hundred years, and he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed. ²¹And they shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them.They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit. ²²They shall not build, and another inhabit; they shall not plant, and another eat: for as the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.No longer will they build houses for others to inhabit, nor plant for others to eat. For as is the lifetime of a tree, so will be the days of My people, and My chosen ones will fully enjoy the work of their hands. ²³They shall not labour in vain, nor bring forth for trouble; for they are the seed of the blessed of the Lord, and their offspring with them.They will not labor in vain or bear children doomed to disaster; for they will be a people blessed by the LORD— they and their descendants with them. ²⁴And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.Even before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear. ²⁵The wolf and the lamb shall feed together, and the lion shall eat straw like the bullock: and dust shall be the serpent’s meat. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain, saith the Lord.The wolf and the lamb will feed together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox, but the food of the serpent will be dust. They will neither harm nor destroy on all My holy mountain,” says the LORD.
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• Isaiah 2:2-4
  ²And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.In the last days the mountain of the house of the LORD will be established as the chief of the mountains; it will be raised above the hills, and all nations will stream to it. ³And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.And many peoples will come and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob. He will teach us His ways so that we may walk in His paths.” For the law will go forth from Zion, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. ⁴And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.Then He will judge between the nations and arbitrate for many peoples. They will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will no longer take up the sword against nation, nor train anymore for war.
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• Zechariah 14:9
  And the Lord shall be king over all the earth: in that day shall there be one Lord, and his name one.On that day the LORD will become King over all the earth—the LORD alone, and His name alone.
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Passages cited for Christ's present reign

• Matthew 12:28-29
  ²⁸But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you.But if I drive out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. ²⁹Or else how can one enter into a strong man’s house, and spoil his goods, except he first bind the strong man? and then he will spoil his house.Or again, how can anyone enter a strong man’s house and steal his possessions, unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can plunder his house.
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• Colossians 1:13
  Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of His beloved Son,
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• Ephesians 1:20-22
  ²⁰Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,which He exerted in Christ when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly realms, ²¹Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. ²²And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,And God put everything under His feet and made Him head over everything for the church,
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• John 5:24-25
  ²⁴Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever hears My word and believes Him who sent Me has eternal life and will not come under judgment. Indeed, he has crossed over from death to life. ²⁵Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live.Truly, truly, I tell you, the hour is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
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• 1 Corinthians 15:24-26
  ²⁴Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.Then the end will come, when He hands over the kingdom to God the Father after He has destroyed all dominion, authority, and power. ²⁵For he must reign, till he hath put all enemies under his feet.For He must reign until He has put all His enemies under His feet. ²⁶The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
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Passages cited for the spread of the gospel

• Matthew 13:31-33
  ³¹Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:He put before them another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a mustard seed that a man planted in his field. ³²Which indeed is the least of all seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof.Although it is the smallest of all seeds, yet it grows into the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and nest in its branches.” ³³Another parable spake he unto them; The kingdom of heaven is like unto leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three measures of meal, till the whole was leavened.He told them still another parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and mixed into three measures of flour, until all of it was leavened.”
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• Habakkuk 2:14
  For the earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
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• Psalm 22:27-28
  ²⁷All the ends of the world shall remember and turn unto the LORD: and all the kindreds of the nations shall worship before thee.All the ends of the earth will remember and turn to the LORD. All the families of the nations will bow down before Him. ²⁸For the kingdom is the LORD’s: and he is the governor among the nations.For dominion belongs to the LORD and He rules over the nations.
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A thousand years with the Lord

• 2 Peter 3:8
  But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.Beloved, do not let this one thing escape your notice: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.
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• Psalm 90:4
  For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.For in Your sight a thousand years are but a day that passes, or a watch of the night.
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See also

• Second Coming
• Kingdom of God
• Satan
• Great Tribulation
• New heaven and new earth

Notes

1. Verses are quoted in the translation chosen in the Translation menu at the top of the page. See Translations for sources and copyright notices.
2. Each reference links to the full chapter so the verse can be read in context.