Have you ever wondered why scriptures speak of Christ’s millennial rule, while they also speak of him ruling forever? When a millennial is just a thousand years. The answer is revealed in the meaning of his Kingdom. And scriptures writing about it describe two different groups of Christians. Some are taken into a heavenly dimension, where Christ lives:
But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:20,21
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, Philippians 3:30
Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord, 1Thessalonians 4:17
The reason these Christians are taken to heaven is brought out at Revelation 5:10“You have made them into a kingdom, priests to serve our God, and they will reign upon the earth.”
“Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection! The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and will reign with Him for a thousand years. When the thousand years are complete, Satan will be released from his prison.” Revelation 20:6,7
So these are taken to heaven. Yet they come back to earth as representatives of God. Why would they be taken to heaven to do that? The answer is because that gives this group face to face access to Christ. Which means they take direction directly from Christ, and not through some intermediary.
This government of God rules for 1000 years to bring earth’s inhabitants up to God’s standard for them. So some scriptures describe their rule as a millennial reign. Yet the administration God establishes continues. Note Daniel 7:27, “Then the sovereignty, power and greatness of all the kingdoms under heaven will be handed over to the holy people of the Most High. His kingdom will be an everlasting kingdom, and all rulers will worship and obey him.”
While one group consists of people making up this administration, people that have heavenly access -Yet they do come to earth to administer over the affairs of mankind-the second group are Christians on earth that live under this administration.