Revelation, Millennium, Last Judgment
by Ulrich Utiger

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What the Bible predicts on the future of humanity, the Millennium and the Last Judgment.

Contents of this page
The Millennium
Return to a life in harmony with nature
The resurrection of all dead
Eternity

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CONCLUSION

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THE WOMAN CLOTHED WITH THE SUN

Page 17

5. THE ERA OF THE MILLENNIUM

The Millennium

One could consider this era to be a fifth cycle belonging to the spiritual era. Yet this is not so, because during this time history will return to the invisible world of the angels from which it issued. Such as the laws of nature were created then, namely during the phase of revival, they will disappear during this fifth era during the same phase, as we are going to see, for the earth and the whole material universe will be dissolved, with the result that only the spiritual world will subsist (Rev 20:11-21:1). And since in the spiritual world history no longer repeats itself by numerous cycles, the era of the angels and the era of the Millennium comprise only a single cycle each.

The Millennium (Rev 20:4-6) will evidently constitute the phase of peace, that is to say of beginning, of this last cycle. It will still take place on earth because the dissolution of "the first heaven and the first earth" will only be realized at the term of the thousand years (Rev 20:11; 21:1). Hence the Millennium has nothing to do with the invisible world, but consists of a terrestrial peacetime that will not finish before the earth literally will have revolved around the sun one thousand times. During this time, the last Saints resuscitated will become priests of Christ (Rev 20:6) and will accomplish their services for humans in flesh and in bone having survived to the cataclysm of the fourth cycle.

This supernatural priesthood of the resuscitated Saints is nevertheless already the first sign of the transition that will be realized during this cycle from the terrestrial to the celestial world. The priests will probably appear to people like Jesus, who appeared, after his resurrection, as a priest to two disciples walking to Emmaus, with whom he sat down to table, "took the bread and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to them" (Lk 24:13-30).

In this case, the last cycle would also comprise a phase of apparition, which causes to suppose that people of the Millennium will receive the Holy Spirit abundantly, who will set up peace not only between the nations, but especially in the hearts of the individuals. This is why the Millennium is equal to the great messianic period so hoped for by Israel:

"It shall come to pass in the latter days
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills.
And all the nations shall flow to it,
and many peoples shall come, and say:
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Zion shall go forth the law,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
He shall judge between the nations,
and shall decide for many peoples.
And they shall beat their swords into plowshares,
and their spears into pruning hooks.
Nation shall not lift up sword against nation,
neither shall they learn war any more.
O house of Jacob,
come, let us walk in the light of the Lord"
(Is 2:2-5).

Return to a life in harmony with nature

It is probable that the judgment of World War III will destroy all the infrastructure of the modern industry and entirely paralyze its function. One will correspondingly return almost to the way of life of the first humans.

Although it is exaggerated to say that the innumerable applications of science are the work of the Devil, nevertheless they will finally serve to give the Antichrist his power, not only on a military scale but also in view of his adoration by the masses. His resurrection for example (Rev 13:3) will presumably not be a supernatural miracle as that of Christ, but an extraordinary medical exploit. Also his image, which can speak and put to death all those who do not adore it (Rev 13:15), will certainly not be a diabolic magic, but an elaborate electronic system. This is why I cannot imagine that an industry like ours, or even one that would surpass it, will be reconstructed.

All these sophisticated gadgets are not necessary for the research of God and for a life in peace, although it is perhaps necessary that they are realized to arrive at this conclusion. It is possible that they materially facilitate life for us, but the problem is that they do not grow on trees. It is necessary to manufacture them, which is not possible without making suffer nature and society. Moreover, they absorb us with their complexity and divert attention from the essential.

So, one will live with primitive means during the Millennium and be content with a simple life in harmony with the surrounding nature. One will work in a state of mind impregnated with renunciation and disposition to the sacrifice, which is effectively the sole real means to break the punishment of the work.

The resurrection of all dead

At the term of these thousand years of peace, "Satan will be loosed from his prison and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth [...] to gather them for battle" against "the Saints and the beloved city" (Rev 20:7-9). Satan is hence really a seducer having considerable power over humans if he is able to persuade them – after thousand years of perfect peace – that God wants evil for them or that he does not exist, etc. In any case, they will attempt to seize Jerusalem by believing perhaps that God can be arrested, imprisoned and executed like three thousand years ago.

But this will be a fatal error, because they will be consumed by a fire coming down from heaven (Rev 20:9). This last deluge of fire will be, unlike the preceding one, purely supernatural. Satan and all the other fallen angels will receive an eternal punishment because from then on they will never leave hell again (Rev 20:10). During the same judgment phase, all man who has ever lived will resuscitate to be judged according to their works, which means for some persons the eternal punishment and for others the eternal revival (Rev 20:11-15). This is the Last Judgment.

The resurrection of everyone goes hand in hand with the dissolution of the material world: "From his presence [of God] earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them" (Rev 20:11). Afterwards, there is a new sky and a new earth (Rev 21:1), which will not be material but spiritual like the rivers and the trees (Rev 22, 1-2), and the celestial Jerusalem (Rev 21:9-27). This is why the mortal remains of all dead will also transform and again unite to their spirits to form spiritual bodies according to Ezek 37:5-6:

"Thus says the Lord God to these bones: Behold, I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. And I will lay sinews upon you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live, and you shall know that I am the Lord."

Eternity

At the end "there shall no more be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it [in Jerusalem], and his servants shall worship him. They shall see his face, and his name shall be on their foreheads. And night shall be no more. They need no light of lamp or sun, for the Lord God will be their light, and they shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev 22:3). This is the final residence of God in the middle of Jerusalem.

At this moment, the history with its cycles will end, which does not inevitably mean, however, that time will also stop. When one speaks of the last events, one situates them often at the end of time. The world was effectively created in the origin of time. This invites thinking that time is effectively temporary and will cease to exist one day.

Yet such a state outside time seems to me a bit rigid, for it would no longer allow any movement, which precisely implies flowing of time. So if there is no time, neither is there movement. Moreover, what has an origin must not inevitably return to silence. An end of time would, however, be precisely this, namely death, for all of us who are born in time. This is why time will never truly stop. It depends on space and the movement in this space. And paradise is not only a spiritual state, but also such a space in which the movement of its inhabitants exists. Finally, the expression: "and they (the servants of God) shall reign for ever and ever" (Rev 22:5) precisely indicates an endless flow of time in this final paradise.

This also implies that the absolute objectivity held by God cannot be reached by any created being and that we have to reconcile ourselves to accept subjectivity. Yet to be subjective does not mean to have an erroneous vision. It’s only a restricted vision, for subjectivity is explained by its resemblance to objectivity, which it forms part of. This resemblance is relative, that is it can be little or great compared to another one, but it is never equal to the absolute objectivity. By accepting it, we renounce putting ourselves in the place of God and are forever occupied with always better understanding the mystery of God.