Will people die in the Millennial Kingdom Age?
That is a good question isn’t it? The Bride of Christ (believers living today in this dispensation of the age of grace) received immortal resurrected glorified bodies at the Rapture, The Old Testament saints were already resurrected at Christ’s Second Coming event. Surviving believers from the Tribulation period enter the Kingdom age to repopulate the Earth.
But what about those BORN during the 1000 year reign of Christ on Earth, before the Great White Throne judgement of unbelievers? We know by Scripture that for us living TODAY in this age of grace dispensation will not be judged at the Great White Throne. Only the DEAD who rejected Christ. We will ALREADY be bodily resurrected and in the New Jerusalem – that heavenly city. We will be saints in glorified bodies as Jesus now has.We will not be living on the Earth. Our home will be the New Jerusalem which is in space above the Earth. We will be ruling and reigning with Christ on Earth. Our home is the New Jerusalem but we will be going back and forth between there and the Earth because we will be doing God’s work on Earth as Kings and Priests of God.
Salvation in NOT BY WORKS. And those being judged to the lake of fire at the Great White Throne Judgement are the unbelieving dead who now reside in Hades. In Hades, only the torments side has the unsaved dead in it. The paradise side is empty because Jesus took them to Heaven just after the cross. They are judged by their WORKS and not faith. Believers are saved by FAITH in Christ’s finished work on the cross, having paid for the sins of the whole world (1 John 2:2) and NOT BY WORKS (Ephesians 2:8-9).
One possibility is where in Rev. 20:15 says, “And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” It seems interesting that John mentioned the Book of Life. If this is a judgement only for the unsaved dead, why mentioned the Book Of Life? Some may conclude that believers who die during the Millennium, will be found in the Book of Life and will be resurrected. It does seem plausible, but I am conflicted on this because at the Great White Throne, the judgement is based on works and not faith alone in Christ.
I do not think that is a correct assumption. Why would the Book Of Life be checked to see if they are in the Book of the saved then? Well, this is court of God. In a human court, do we not need to present the evidence of why someone is to be convicted? First and foremost, the need to show the person that they did not get born again is evidenced by the Lamb’s Book of Life. Once that is shown as THE MAIN EVIDENCE (because salvation is only by faith – not works, and it shows them how they rejected salvation through Christ), then they are judged by their works. This makes more sense to me.
In Rev 20:5, we see that the subject is about the 1st resurrection, describing the Tribulation saints. ‘Blessed’ are this group of believers. In Rev 20:6, the ‘rest of the dead’ are those who died in the Millennial reign of Christ. The second death has no power over the believers.
Scripture does indicate that people will live long lives, perhaps as long as before the great flood of Noah’s time. And how old did they live? A very long time! Noah as an example, lived 950 years before his death!
Those living in the Millennial Kingdom Age will be born mortal just as we are today. They also will need to make a decision to follow Christ or reject His GIFT of Salvation. Of course, Satan is bound for this 1000 year period of time and cannot influence humankind on Earth. And let’s not forget that Jesus is ruling ON the Earth and we will be ruling and reigning and teaching those born on this time span on Earth. Peace will abound.
Isaiah writing about this time period we call the Millennial Kingdom Age reads,
“There 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.” (Isaiah 65:20 KJV)
This may indicate that those in the Kingdom Age who reject Christ as Lord and continue in their sins may die early, to be resurrected at the Great White Throne Judgement after the 100 years have past for that future dispensation on Earth.
It could be that believers will remain alive until the Great White Throne Judgement and are kept alive in their mortal bodies, never to die. Possibly, according to Rev 20:5 the millennial believers may be resurrected at the end of the Millennial reign. This question is one many ponder. Although we are not given the answer specifically, I see no other options in my limited knowledge. Yet, either way, I trust God will do right for His believers in the Millennium reign of Christ on Earth.
