Will the church be on earth when the devil is allowed to run around for a while after Jesus’ 1000 year reign? I figure we will be here on earth after Heaven descends and all. Still wondering how and why he’s allowed to come back esp if Jesus is in charge at that time.
After the rapture, the Church will never dwell on Earth again, but will live in the New Jerusalem. According to Rev. 20:7-10 Satan will be released for a time at the end of the 1,000 years because enough people born during the Millennium will have rebelled against God to be ready for one final attempt to take the planet back from Him. Satan will be allowed to organize them into a fighting force so they can put their plan into action and be utterly defeated. Once the rebellious ones have been destroyed by fire, the Earth will be made pure and ready to enter eternity with the Lord. At that time there will again be only one will in the Universe, God’s will.
Remember, believers who survive the Great Tribulation will enter the Millennial Kingdom on Earth in their natural state and will still have a sin nature. The same will be true of children born to them. The Old Testament teaches us that people who have a sin nature cannot tolerate the Rule of God and will eventually rebel. One of the primary lessons of the Millennium is to show us that this is true even when Satan is bound and Jesus is personally the King of the whole world.