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The World to Come

 


Many Christians, myself included, believe in the future Millennial Kingdom, a 1,000-year period where Jesus will reign on earth. His rule will not end after the thousand years; that is when the devil will be cast into the lake of fire and then eternity will begin.

 

Some Christians, called amillenialists, do not believe this kingdom will be literal. They believe we are living in that period right now, and Jesus reigns from heaven, not earth. The 1,000 years, they say, is figurative.

 

To this claim I would point out that Revelation 20 describes this kingdom and it uses the words “thousand years” six times in seven verses. That seems literal to me. Also, during the Millennial Kingdom it says Satan is bound, and I don’t think anyone would claim that Satan is bound now. Peter said he is roaming the earth like a lion seeking prey (1 Peter 5:8).

 

But I would also like to point out Hebrews 2:5, which says, “For it was not to angels that God subjected the world to come, of which we are speaking.” From there the author quotes Psalm 8, which says God put all things under man’s feet, meaning mankind oversees God’s creation. The author of Hebrews turned that passage to a prophecy; we do not see everything subjected to mankind right now, but we will in the Millennial Kingdom.

 

The word he uses for world is important. The Greek word cosmos appears 185 times in the New Testament, and we have adopted it into English. It refers to the created world, the planet itself. But the word in Hebrews 2:5 appears only 15 times in the Bible, and it refers to the inhabited world, not just the planet. 

 

So the point is that there will be an inhabited world to come, one where all things will truly be under man’s feet. This will be like the Garden of Eden, but it will last for eternity. I have made arrangements to live there, and I hope you have as well. If you have not, just call out to the Lord today, and He will save your spot. 

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