Why is there a Millennium?

A question many have is “Why there is the need for a Millennium?”, a one-thousand-year period after the return of Jesus Christ. Both the Old and New Testament clearly teach about the Millennium, it’s in the book of Revelation we are given the term in the Latin,Millennium, meaning one thousand years (Revelation 20:1-6). But the question many have is why? Why do we need a Millennium?
The short answer is to fulfill the promises of God, yet to be fulfilled. When you and I make promises, it is easy to renege and make excuses why we can’t fulfill our word. This is not the case with God and His Word, there are very specific promises in both the Old and New Testaments that are yet to be fulfilled.
Lets look at a couple of these promises.
Jerusalem is the capital of the world.
The prophets Zechariah, Isaiah, Micah and others clearly describes a world where the physical city of Jerusalem is elevated as the capital of the earth. God is the King of Jerusalem, and the nations come to Jerusalem as the center of Government.
Isaiah 2:3 ESV
(3) and many peoples shall come, and say: “Come, let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob, that he may teach us his ways and that we may walk in his paths.” For out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:16 ESV
(16) 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.

The Resurrection of Dead

Old Testament saints such as David, Daniel are given promises of the world to come. Daniel is told to wait till then end of days where he will receive his reward (Daniel 12:13). David is promised to be a prince in the world to come (Jeremiah 30:9)

Jeremiah 30:9 ESV
(9) But they shall serve the LORD their God and David their king, whom I will raise up for them.

Jesus promises the 12 apostles they will sit on 12 thrones judging the nation of Israel in the resurrection (Matthew 19:28)

Matthew 19:28 ESV
(28) Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Israel is blessed by God

The Jewish people and the nation of Israel have always been a subject of ridicule and attack by the nations of the world. God gave specific promises to the Jewish nation, that they would be the head nation in the world if they were obedient. This has never happened, but God promises it will happen. This will be fulfilled in the Millennium (Deuteronomy 30:1-8)

Deuteronomy 30:5-6 ESV
(5) And the LORD your God will bring you into the land that your fathers possessed, that you may possess it. And he will make you more prosperous and numerous than your fathers.
(6) And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.

The Animal World is going to change.

According to Isaiah, when the Messiah rules even the animal kingdom will change. Animals that are predators and prey will be at peace, led by the child. This Millennial snapshot is in the book of Isaiah 11.

Isaiah 11:6-8 ESV
(6) The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them.
(7) The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
(8) The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den.

The Righteousness of God is Demonstrated

Another reason for the Millennium is to demonstrate the righteousness of God, even with a perfect world, in the end people rebel against God when Satan is released from his prison.

Revelation 20:7-8 ESV
(7) And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison
(8) and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea.