The thousand years in Revelation 20 is not the end of Christ's Kingdom — it is the opening millennial phase that introduces the eternal Kingdom, so the Old Testament's 'forever' language is not contradicted.
Revelation 20 gives the reign of Christ and His people a specific time frame of a thousand years, while Daniel 2:44 describes the Kingdom God sets up as one that 'shall never be destroyed' and 'shall stand for ever.' Les Feldick teaches that the thousand-year kingdom is just an introduction to the eternal state. The same kingdom economy continues into eternity after the present heavens and earth are destroyed and replaced, so Christ's reign is both a limited millennium and an everlasting Kingdom.
Daniel 2:44 — The Old Testament promise that the Kingdom God sets up will never be destroyed and will stand for ever is the 'forever' language the question asks about.
Revelation 20:4 — The New Testament passage that gives the thousand-year time frame for the reign of Christ with His people.
Revelation 11:15 — Even within Revelation, Christ's reign is described as 'for ever and ever,' showing the eternal language appears right alongside the thousand years.
In the Old Testament, Daniel records that 'the God of heaven' will set up a kingdom 'which shall never be destroyed' and that 'it shall stand for ever' (Daniel 2:44). In the New Testament, Revelation 20 reveals a specific time frame for Christ's reign: 'they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years' (Revelation 20:4), and 'they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years' (Revelation 20:6). Elsewhere in the same book, Revelation 11:15 announces, 'The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.' Scripture therefore contains both the thousand-year language and the everlasting language; the two are not presented in the Bible as competing timelines.
Les Feldick addresses the apparent conflict by pointing out what the Old Testament actually says. All the prophecies concerning the Kingdom in the Old Testament use 'forever, forever, eternally' terminology (Clip 2), while the book of Revelation puts a time element on the Kingdom — a thousand years — from which we get the term 'millennium' (Clip 1). Les's resolution is that the thousand-year kingdom is 'just an introduction to the eternal state' (Clip 2, Clip 6, Clip 7). He explains that when the thousand years has run its course, the providential acts of a sovereign God will bring a great turmoil, and the planet as we now know it will be destroyed (Clip 1, Clip 7). When the new heaven and new earth come on the scene, it will be the same set of circumstances seen in the thousand years (Clip 1). The same kingdom economy will go right on into all eternity — that is why the language says this Kingdom shall never be destroyed and will never end (Clip 4). Les notes some differences: in the thousand years, flesh-and-blood people will still have children, whereas in the eternal state he believes that will not carry on; but there will still be tremendous activity and production throughout eternity (Clip 2). He says that when the Bible speaks of the Kingdom, it is referring to this final thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth, when He will finally be King of kings and Lord of lords — and that is not the end, of course (Clip 6).
No. Les Feldick teaches that 'the thousand-year reign of Christ is limited in time. Absolutely it is. The Scripture says a thousand years. But, in essence, that same kingdom economy is going to go right on into all eternity.' He says this is why the language speaks of the Kingdom as one that 'shall never be destroyed' and 'will never end.' The Kingdom will be interrupted for the destruction of the present creation, but it will come right back on the scene for eternity.
The Old Testament prophecies concerning the Kingdom use 'forever, forever, eternally' terminology (Clip 2). Daniel 2:44 says the God of heaven will set up a kingdom 'which shall never be destroyed' and that 'it shall stand for ever.' This is the 'forever' language the question asks about, and Les points out that Revelation adds the thousand-year time element without retracting the Old Testament wording.
Les teaches that when the new heaven and new earth come on the scene, it will be the same set of circumstances seen in the thousand years. Eternity will be based on the physical attributes and so forth of the thousand-year reign of Christ. There will be differences — in the thousand years, flesh-and-blood people will have children, while in the eternal state Les says he doesn't believe that will continue — but there will be tremendous activity and production throughout the eternal state. He also rejects the idea that believers will float on ethereal clouds in invisible spirit form; that is not what heaven will be.
Yes. Revelation 11:15 says the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, 'and he shall reign for ever and ever.' Les ties this to his teaching that the thousand-year reign of Christ 'will just simply be the introduction to the eternal' — when the thousand years has run its course on the planet as we now know it, it too will be destroyed.
Revelation 20 Explained: Satan Bound, the Millennium & Final Judgment
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Revelation Puts a Thousand-Year Time Element on the Kingdom
Les explains that the book of Revelation adds a time element to the Kingdom — a thousand years — giving us the term millennium; he notes the thousand years will end in great turmoil, but the new heaven and new earth will continue the same circumstances.
The Thousand-Year Kingdom Is the Introduction to the Eternal State
Les shows that all Old Testament kingdom prophecies say 'forever,' so the thousand years must be viewed as the introduction to the eternal state, with the same physical attributes continuing into eternity.
Daniel's Vision of 4 Beasts & the Antichrist Explained
He will set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed. Now, you want to remember, the book of Revelation puts a time element on the kingdom. How long? A thousand years. Consequently, we get the term, the millennium. And even the world likes the year.
The Same Kingdom Economy Continues into Eternity
Les states plainly that the thousand-year reign is limited in time but the same kingdom economy goes right on into all eternity — that's why Scripture says the Kingdom will never be destroyed.
Daniel's Four Beasts and the Revived Roman Empire Explained
Now, it took me a while to come to that conclusion, but I'm so convinced of it now, I speak it without apology, that the thousand-year reign of Christ is limited in time. Absolutely it is. The Scripture says a thousand years. But, in essence, that same kingdom economy is going to go right on into all eternity.
The Kingdom Is the Final Reign of Christ on Earth
Les explains that when Scripture speaks of the Kingdom, it means the final thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth as King of kings and Lord of lords — and that it is just the introduction to the eternal state.
He Shall Reign Forever and Ever
Les connects Revelation 11:15's 'reign forever and ever' to his teaching that the thousand-year reign is simply the introduction to the eternal state, and that the present world will be destroyed after the thousand years.
Daniel 2:44: And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.
The Old Testament declaration that God's Kingdom is never destroyed and stands forever — the 'forever' language in the question.
Revelation 20:4: And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
The New Testament verse that gives the thousand-year duration of Christ's reign with His people.
Revelation 20:6: Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
Repeats the thousand-year time frame for reigning with Christ in the same chapter.
Revelation 11:15: And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
Shows Revelation itself declares Christ's reign 'for ever and ever,' alongside the thousand-year statements.
Revelation 20 gives the time frame of a thousand years for Christ's reign at the close of human history, while Daniel 2:44 and Revelation 11:15 describe that same Kingdom as standing forever. Les Feldick teaches that the thousand years is the introduction to the eternal state, so the two are not contradictory.
No. Les explains that although the thousand-year reign is limited in time, the same kingdom economy goes right on into all eternity. The Kingdom will be interrupted for the destruction of the present creation, but it will come right back on the scene for eternity.
The thousand years will end through the providential acts of a sovereign God, and everything will go through a great turmoil. The present earth will be destroyed, a new heaven and new earth will come on the scene, and the same circumstances from the thousand years will continue into the eternal state.
Revelation 20:4 and 20:6 speak of Christ and His people reigning 'a thousand years.' Daniel 2:44 and Revelation 11:15, meanwhile, describe the Kingdom as never destroyed and Christ reigning forever and ever.
Watch the Teaching: Revelation 20 Explained: Satan Bound, the Millennium & Final Judgment