ONE COMING - ONE ARMAGEDDON

There is NOT going to be a literal 1,000 year reign of Christ on this doomed and dying planet.

"But the heavens that now are, and the earth, by the same word have been stored up for fire, being reserved against the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men.  But don't forget this one thing, beloved, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.  The Lord is not slow concerning his promise, as some count slowness, but is patient with us, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.

But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, and the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will be dissolved with fervent heat, and the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. 

Therefore since all these things are thus to be destroyed, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy living and godliness, looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God, by reason of which the heavens being on fire will be dissolved, and the elements will melt with fervent heat?  But, according to his promise, we look for new heavens and a new earth, in which dwells righteousness." (2Pet 3:7-13)

Notice that Peter NEVER describes some sort of a millennial reign of Christ on this planet.  Peter clearly says that at Christ's coming, HIS ONE AND ONLY COMING, this earth will be judged and destroyed.

"How can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house." (Mt 12:29)  "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the Living one, and I was dead, and behold, I am alive for evermore, and I HAVE THE KEYS OF DEATH AND HADES." (Re 1:18) 

"Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.  He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.  And he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while." (Re 20:1-3)  Satan has been bound like a dog on a chain since Christ's atoning death and resurrection.  Satan and his demons can only do what they are allowed to do.  

The "thousand years" is symbolic of the time of Christ's "patience" toward humanity.  Every believer who has died since the repentant thief on the cross, has been symbolically reigning with Christ in heaven.  But Christ's patience is not eternal, he is coming... soon!

The battle of Armegeddon is first described in (Re 19:19-21). This account is from our earthly perspective, where we see the ultimate judgment of  the beast Islamic empire, and its leader, the False Prophet.  The passage below describes the spiritual loosing of Satan that leads to the battle of Armageddon.  

"And when the thousand years are finished, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall come forth to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to the war, the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. And they went up over the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city (Jerusalem).  And fire came down out of heaven, and devoured them." (Re 20:7-9) 

However, the loosing of Satan described above, actually takes place at the sounding of the 5th Trumpet, which will start Islam's war of nuclear terrorism.  "Then the fifth angel sounded.  And I saw a star fallen from heaven to the earth. To him was given the key to the bottomless pit.  And he opened the bottomless pit, and smoke arose out of the pit like the smoke of a great furnace... And thus I saw the horses in the vision... and the heads of the horses were like the heads of lions, and out of their mouths came fire, smoke, and brimstone.  By these three plagues a third of mankind was killed... " (Re 9:1-2 and 17-18)

We must fervently pray for God's people in Israel.  The long feared invasion of Israel by a massive army of fanatical Muslim fighters, will indeed be a horrific nightmare of death and bloodshed.  However, it turns out that the actual battle of Armageddon isn't really much of a battle.  Our Savior, standing on Mount Zion, instantly destroys the massive Islamic army with the sharp sword of his awesome and deafening voice.

"And he who sat upon the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new."  He who testifies to these things says, "Surely I am coming soon."  Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" (Re 22:20)