Chapter 63 — THE MILLENNIUM*

After viewing the glories of heaven, I [Ellen White] looked now at the earth. The earth seemed to be covered with blood. After God had delivered His people, I saw the wicked people turn their anger on one another. Dead bodies were lying here and there. Cities and villages, destroyed by the last great earthquake, were now just piles of rubble. Trees had fallen. Ragged rocks thrown out of the sea, or thrown out of the earth, were scattered everywhere. Huge openings in the ground showed where there had been mountains.SRme 1.1825

This earth, without any live people, will be the home of Satan with his evil angels for the next thousand years. Satan must stay on earth to see the results of his rebellion against God's law. Satan will also realize the results of the curse that he has caused. Satan stays on earth, going up and down over its broken surface.SRme 1.1826

Satan cannot leave the earth. Satan will not be able to visit other worlds. Satan will not be allowed to tempt and annoy people on other worlds who have never sinned. Satan will suffer greatly during the thousand years. Since Satan was forced out of heaven, he used his mind and strength continually to do wicked acts. But now God has taken away Satan's power, and Satan is left to think of the results that his wicked rebellion has caused. He looks to the future with trembling and terror. Satan knows that he must suffer punishment for the sins he has caused people to do.SRme 1.1827

*Millennium: a period of a thousand yearsSRme 1.1828

I heard shouts of victory from angels and from the redeemed people because they will never again be annoyed and tempted by Satan. Their voices sound the same as the music made by ten thousand musical instruments. The redeemed people were glad because Satan would never again tempt and persecute them. The redeemed also were glad because the people on other planets who never sinned would be free from Satan's presence and temptations.SRme 1.1829

I saw thrones, with Jesus and the redeemed people sitting on them. The people saved from earth were ruling for a thousand years as kings and priests unto God. Jesus and the saved were judging the wicked dead. They compared every act with the Word of God. Together Jesus and the redeemed decided each case according to the works of the wicked people. Then the punishment that Satan's followers must suffer was written beside their names in the book of death.SRme 1.1830

Satan also was judged by Jesus and the redeemed. Satan's punishment will be much more terrible than the punishment of the people he deceived. Satan's punishment cannot be compared with that of his followers. After the wicked people are eternally dead, Satan will live and suffer for awhile.SRme 1.1831

At the end of the thousand years, Jesus left the holy city and came down to earth with all the redeemed and all the heavenly angels. The judgment was finished. Jesus came to a great mountain. As soon as Jesus' feet touched the mountain, the mountain separated and made a very large flat place. Then the beautiful New Jerusalem came slowly down from heaven. The city had twelve foundations and twelve gates, three gates on each side. An angel was at each gate.SRme 1.1832

The righteous people shouted, "The city! The great city! The great city is coming down from God out of heaven!" The glorious New Jerusalem settled on the flat place that Jesus had prepared for the city.SRme 1.1833