The question of who will live on earth during the Millennium is a fascinating and complex topic within Christian eschatology, engaging theologians and believers alike for centuries. The Millennium, as described in Revelation 20:1-6, is a thousand-year reign of Christ on earth, a period marked by peace, justice, and righteousness. Understanding who will inhabit the earth during this time requires an examination of biblical texts, theological interpretations, and an appreciation of the diverse perspectives within the Christian tradition.
To begin, the primary source of information about the Millennium is found in the Book of Revelation. Revelation 20:1-3 describes the binding of Satan for a thousand years, preventing him from deceiving the nations. Verses 4-6 then describe the reign of Christ with His saints:
"Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years." (Revelation 20:4-6, ESV)
From this passage, it is clear that those who will live and reign with Christ during the Millennium include the resurrected saints—those who had been martyred for their faith and those who remained faithful to Christ, resisting the mark of the beast. This group is often referred to as the "first resurrection," indicating a special resurrection of believers who will partake in Christ's millennial kingdom.
However, this passage does not explicitly mention all the inhabitants of the earth during this period. To gain a fuller picture, we must consider other biblical texts and theological interpretations. One key question is whether there will be people who survive the tribulation and enter the Millennium in their natural, mortal bodies. Several Old Testament prophecies and New Testament passages suggest that there will indeed be such individuals.
Isaiah 65:20-25 provides a prophetic vision of the new heavens and new earth, which many theologians associate with the Millennial Kingdom. This passage describes a time of unprecedented longevity and peace:
"No more shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred years old shall be accursed. They shall build houses and inhabit them; they shall plant vineyards and eat their fruit... The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent's food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain, says the LORD." (Isaiah 65:20-25, ESV)
This passage suggests that there will be people living in natural bodies during the Millennium, experiencing long life and prosperity. The mention of sinners being accursed implies that there will be some who are not yet perfected, indicating the presence of mortals who still have the capacity to sin.
Moreover, Zechariah 14:16-19 speaks of survivors from the nations that fought against Jerusalem who will go up to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths. This indicates that there will be people from various nations who survive the tribulation and enter the Millennium:
"Then everyone who survives of all the nations that have come against Jerusalem shall go up year after year to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, and to keep the Feast of Booths." (Zechariah 14:16, ESV)
In addition to Old Testament prophecies, the New Testament also provides insight. Matthew 25:31-46 records Jesus' teaching about the final judgment, often referred to as the "Sheep and Goats" judgment. In this passage, Jesus separates the righteous (sheep) from the unrighteous (goats) based on their treatment of "the least of these my brothers." The righteous are invited to inherit the kingdom prepared for them, while the unrighteous are sent away into eternal punishment. This judgment appears to take place at the beginning of the Millennium, suggesting that the righteous who are still alive at Christ's return will enter the Millennial Kingdom in their natural bodies.
Furthermore, the Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians 15:50-52, speaks of the transformation that believers will undergo at Christ's return:
"I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed." (1 Corinthians 15:50-52, ESV)
This passage emphasizes the transformation of believers who are alive at Christ's return, suggesting that they will receive glorified, imperishable bodies suitable for the eternal kingdom. However, it does not preclude the possibility of mortals living on earth during the Millennium, as those who survive the tribulation and enter the Millennium in their natural bodies will continue to live and multiply.
Theological interpretations of the Millennium vary, with three primary views: premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. Premillennialism, which holds that Christ will return before the Millennium to establish His kingdom on earth, is most consistent with the idea of a literal thousand-year reign with both resurrected saints and mortals living together. Postmillennialism, which envisions a golden age of Christian influence before Christ's return, and amillennialism, which interprets the Millennium symbolically as the current church age, offer different perspectives but do not necessarily negate the possibility of mortals living during a future millennial reign.
In conclusion, a careful examination of biblical texts and theological interpretations suggests that the inhabitants of the earth during the Millennium will include both resurrected saints and mortals who survive the tribulation. The resurrected saints, who partake in the first resurrection, will reign with Christ in glorified bodies, while mortals who enter the Millennium in their natural bodies will experience unprecedented peace, prosperity, and longevity. This harmonious coexistence of glorified and mortal believers reflects the transformative power of Christ's reign and the fulfillment of God's redemptive plan for humanity.
