Who’s In The Millennium?

Who are the first people to begin living in the Millennial Kingdom? According to Isaiah, this unique group will live long lives, marry, and have children (Isaiah 65:20-25).

Christ’s teaching on who will enter the Millennial Kingdom is summed up in Matthew 25:31-46. The passage describes the judgment of living survivors at the time of Christ’s Second Coming and tells us exactly who begins the Millennium.

Also known as the “Sheep and Goats” judgment, Christ divides all the Tribulation survivors into two groups: The sheep represent those who have been saved during the seven year Tribulation and the Goats represent unbelievers who survived the Tribulation.

The distinguishing characteristic Jesus uses to differentiate the two groups is how they treated Israel during the Tribulation. Revealing His close relationship to the chosen people, He refers to Israel as “my brethren” (vs. 40).

The Lord here, gives us insight that true believers, under the control of God’s Spirit, during the dangerous period of the Tribulation, will stand with Israel and unbelievers will not. In other words, the question asked to the Tribulation survivors will be something like, “how did you treat Israel?”

Asking people how they feel about Israel is insightful even today. How do you feel about Israel? Jesus is the “lion of the tribe of Judah.” The world will one day appreciate him as the Jewish King who rules the world in justice and righteousness while sitting on the throne of the Davidic Dynasty in Jerusalem.

In the end, Jesus thanks the believing survivors (Sheep) for their kindness and commendable treatment of Israel during the difficult Tribulation period and they are told to, “inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

On the other hand, based on their mistreatment of Israel, Jesus commands the unbelievers (Goats) to, “depart from Me you cursed, into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.”

Only born-again, Tribulation survivors (Gentiles and Jews) will enter the Kingdom (Jn. 3:3). They enter the Millennium in their natural, mortal bodies and form the exclusive populace at the start of the Millennial Kingdom that live throughout the entire Millennial Age.