Millennium and the Eternal State
The thousand-year kingdom of Christ leads to a significant transformation involving the new heavens and earth. The melting of the elements is literally, the "end of the world". According to scripture, the (physical) heaven and earth, our universe, will dissolve into the basic elements (Job. 14:12; Psa. 102:26; Heb. 1:12; 2 Pet. 3:10-12; Rev. 20:11). Specifically, “The heavens will pass away with a rushing noise, and the elements, burning with heat, shall be dissolved, and the earth and the works in it shall be burnt up” (2 Peter 3:10). They “fled away” and “no place was found for them” because the heavens and earth will be re-made afterwards (Rev. 21:1, 2 Pet. 3:13).
The Spirit of God is careful not to say that the elements will be annihilated, but rather reduced down to the building blocks of matter, for “making” supposes pre-existing material. God will use these same building blocks again to make something new. As described in Hebrews 1:11-12, “They all [heavens and earth] shall grow old as a garment, and as a covering shalt thou roll them up, and they shall be changed.”
The Nature of the Eternal State
The eternal state is the end of all God’s purposes for the glory of Christ and the blessing of man. This is when God will have reconciled "all things" unto Himself (Col. 1:20), and God will be "all in all" (1 Cor. 15:28). If the Millennium is necessary for the vindication of God's character, then the eternal state is necessary for the satisfaction of His heart! There are really only three scriptural names for the eternal state:
- The "Age of Ages" (Rev. 20:10, Eph. 3:21)
- The "Day of God" (2 Cor. 15:28; 2 Pet. 3:12)
- The "Day of Eternity" (2 Pet. 3:18)
There are only three passages that describe the eternal state: Rev. 21:1-8, 2 Pet. 3:10-13, and 1 Cor. 15:24-28, although there are other minor references to it, such as "the eighth day" (Lev. 23:36, 39). The truth about the Eternal State is only revealed in the New Testament; the Old Testament does not mention the eternal state.
The Transition from the Millennium
Regarding the transition to eternity, Christ received the Millennial kingdom as a man, and He accomplishes God's purposes as a man: putting down all enemies (final rebellion, death, the great white throne, etc.) and then He will give it up to the Father as a man. When the Eternal State begins, time as we know it will end; “then cometh the end” (1 Cor. 15:24). Every stain of sin will be removed (John 1:29) and the sorrows of the old earth will be passed away: death, sorrow, pain, tears (Rev. 21:4). All things will be made “new” and according to the mind of God.
Heaven and Earth Connection
There will be a very close connection between the heavenly saints and the earthly saints in the Eternal State; "the tabernacle of God is with men” (Rev. 21:3). A nice illustration is the cup (Heaven) and saucer (earth). Today the cup is held away at a distance from the saucer, and we don’t have a very close communication between heaven and earth. In the millennium the cup will be held over the saucer; communication will be restored like before the fall (read Hos. 2:21-22). But in the eternal state, the cup is on the saucer... no distance!
| Feature | The Millennium | The Eternal State |
|---|---|---|
| Governance | Reigned “over” by Christ and the Church | God will “dwell with men” - no separation |
| Sin and Death | The righteous will not die (Isa. 65:20) | No more sin; no need for reigning |
| Humanity | Nations and languages exist | No “nations” or different languages, just “men” |
Earthly Inhabitants
Although we have no scripture to tell us precisely, it would appear that the saints of the Millennial earth will be transplanted into the new heavens and earth. We know there will be men on the earth in the eternal state (Rev. 21:3), that the righteous will not die in the Millennium (Isa. 65:20), and that only the wicked will be raised after the thousand years (Rev. 20:5). There will be no “nations” or different languages in the eternal state, just “men”.