Strictly speaking, the only mention of God's 1,000-year reign on Earth occurs in Revelation 20:4-6, and I really don't want to get mixed up in that today, because it brings up far too many questions that are totally unanswerable until that time comes. Fervent believers in the Millennial Kingdom also point to the part of Isaiah we read today, particularly Isaiah 60 as a prophesy of what it will be like when God returns and reigns here on Earth prior to the final judgment.
I've already bitten off more than I can chew at this point, but I wanted to point out that, while not explicitly espousing the Millennial Kingdom view as it is usually put forth, consider where the events in Isaiah are taking place. I could very easily be wrong, but it would appear that this will occur on Earth. We'll run across a verse tomorrow that those that believe in a literal Millennial Kingdom put great emphasis on, but for now, read these verses and ponder their various potential meanings:
1. As a metaphor for the return from Babylonian exile (at some point, I'll have to discuss how literalists can't use metaphors, but that's for another day)
2. As a description of the freedom from the strictures of the Law that Christ's death and resurrection will give us
3. A true description of what it will look like when Christ returns
It's entirely possible that all three could be true, and just as possible that I've missed it entirely. Either way, Isaiah portrays an Earth that all of us would love to inhabit--a place of safety, peace and the presence of the Lord. It will happen someday--we just don't know when or what it will look like.
Scott
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