184    The Bible and the Future of the World 

    The Millennium is the time when Jesus Christ's kingdom is firmly 

established on earth. This time will follow the time of the Church's Passion 

and Crucifixion. After the Crucifixion comes the Glory. Some people 

assume that all the intense sufferings described in Revelation mark the end 

of the world not true! 

    The Church triumphs over persecution and all manner of evil. The 

Church goes on giving glory to God on earth for a long time after the defeat 

of the wicked. After so many centuries of struggling and suffering, when 

Christ's Church is finally firmly established on earth, do you think that the 

Church on earth would then immediately come to an end? Not so! 

The First Resurrection (Rev 20:4 6) 

     They came to life, and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of 

the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is 

the first resurrection.... they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and they 

shall reign with him a thousand years.  (Rev 20:4.5.6). 

    Those who were martyred for God during the Church's great suffering 

will come to life and share in this time of great holiness for the Church on 

earth. This will be an actual Resurrection of some of the dead. It is not the 

general Resurrection of all the dead. 

    Those who share in the first resurrection cannot end up in Hell, their 

place in Heaven is assured:   Over such the second death has no power....  

(Rev 20:6; cf. Rev 14 15). The souls of the first resurrection descended from 

Heaven to be resurrected on earth. Since they were already in Heaven, they 

can never end up in Hell. (Some who are alive at that time might receive the 

benefits of the first Resurrection, without first dying and rising, just as will 

occur at the start of the general Resurrection.) 

    Whether any other persons, besides those recent martyrs, are resurrected 

at this time is unclear. In any case, those who come back to life join those 

brave survivors of the time of great suffering. They rebuild the Church on 

earth. 

    During the Millennium, Christianity will be the one and only religion on 

earth. Those faithful Christians who have survived the suffering, or who are 

resurrected after their martyrdom, will reign with Christ.  They will reign 

with Christ in the sense that Christianity, faith in God, prayer, and holiness 

will be the guiding principles of life on earth. Christ will reign on earth 

during the Millennium by means of the Church, the Eucharist, and the faith 

and holiness of Christian leaders.