BIG IDEA: Be happy and holy now and forever as the Bride of Christ!

1. Happy and holy is the Bride of Christ - Revelation 19:6-9

a. The image of marriage symbolizing the relationship of God and His people

- Isaiah 54:5, Ephesians 5:25-27

b. The presentation of the Bride is the 1st resurrection of Revelation 20

c. Make yourself ready - 1 John 3:2-3

2. The Millennium - Revelation 20:1-6

a. Satan is bound for 1000 years in a pit that is shut and sealed over.

b. Those who did not worship the beast will "come to life" and reign with Christ for 1000 years as priests of God and Christ ("the first resurrection").

c. After the 1000 years is ended, Satan is released for a little while to deceive the nations once again.

• Pre-Millennial: Jesus will return to earth BEFORE the Millennium, which is a future period of time where Satan is bound in a pit and Christ reigns on earth with His people. (This is the view we teach at Good Shepherd)

• Post-Millennial: Jesus will return to earth AFTER the Millennium, which is a future period of peace and prosperity on earth after the Gospel spreads to every nation. Satan will be bound during this period and Christians will rule the world

• A-Millennial: The Millennium is NOW. It is the period BETWEEN the first and second coming of Christ as Jesus reigns from Heaven, and those who die in Christ “come to life” spiritually in heaven and reign with Him. Even though Satan is still present on earth and still very active, he has been bound by the death and resurrection of Jesus in the sense that he can no longer deceive the nations and prevent people from believing the Gospel

3. Happy and holy is the Bride of Christ - Revelation 20:6

a. Jesus and His Bride will have glorified bodies that cannot die

- 1 Corinthians 15:52-53

b. Jesus and His Bride will reign as priests and kings in a glorious time of justice, love, peace, beauty, health, prosperity, productivity and creativity.

- Isaiah 11:3-5

- Isaiah 65:19-25

c. Jesus and His Bride will reign over people from Israel and the nations who are not yet believers before the second coming of Christ and who survive Armageddon.

- Zechariah 12:10

- Zechariah 14:16-17

d. Jesus and His Bride might live in the holy city Jerusalem

- Revelation 21:9-22:5

4. Main purposes of the Millennium

a. The salvation of Israel and the nations

- Revelation 21:24, 22:2, 22:14-15

b. The vindication of God's judgment

- The judgment of Satan and the nations - Revelation 20:7-10

- The judgment of unbelievers ("The Great White Throne) - Revelation 20:11-15

5. Be happy and holy now and forever as the Bride of Christ

a. Revelation 19:9

b. Revelation 20:6

c. Revelation 22:14

Make yourself ready as part of Jesus' Bride

- Remain faithful and obedient to Christ in a fallen and evil world

- Faithfully endure hardship and suffering like He did

- Trust Him in the face of death

- Take His gospel to all tribes, languages, peoples and nations