Five Views of the Millennium in Revelation Chapter 20

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The Case for Amillenialism 

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Key Points:

- There is no literal earthly kingdom.

- Good and evil grow side by side until the end.

- The end of the age involves the 2nd coming of Jesus, final judgment, and eternity.

 

• Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is now, as well as future. (Mt.12:28)

• Jesus stated that His kingdom is ‘not of this world.’ (Jn.18:36)

• He clearly reigns now, over saints above, church below.

• He did not respond to disciples’ questions about an earthly kingdom.

• The only Scripture expressly stating an earhly, literal reign for 1000 years is Rev. 20. This number should be viewed symbolically, as 10 = perfect number, so 10x10x10 = perfection.

• Revelation is to be viewed as 7 sections, each describing the same relative span of time. So it is not detailing multiple judgments or multiple resurrections. Scripture elsewhere does not mention such multiples.

• The Old Testament prophecies are to be viewed symbolically, or as describing the new heavens and the new earth rather than an earthly millennium.

• Jesus taught that Satan was, in some way, bound at the victory of the cross. (Lk.10:18, Mt.12:28)

• To believe in either a premillennial or postmillennial position reduces the true quality and extent of the kingdom.

• The word “throne” in the New Testament is generally used for heavenly thrones (47 times). Consistency would favor a heavenly picture also here in Rev. 20- the reign of the saints in heaven with Christ.

• The phrase ‘they came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years’- Premillennialists point to this as proof of a 1000-year reign after the 2nd Coming. But is there another resurrection suggested in v.11-1 2 resurrections? No. The first mentioned resurrection is not  a physical one, but rather a spiritual communion with Christ now, before a later bodily resurrection.

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The Case for Postmillenialism

 

Key Points:

-We are now in the Millennium period, or gradually heading toward it, with Christ’s Kingdom gradually growing, and leading eventually to the Lord’s return after a glorious period of the world transformed by the gospel.

-There will be a brief period of apostasy and persecution at the end of the Millennium (vs.7-10) before Christ returns and final judgment occurs.

-The Kingdom of God is seen as essentially redemptive and spiritual, not political and physical.

-This view is quite optimistic about the continuing growth of the church and saturation of the world with the Gospel, and the transformations that will result.

 

 

• The kingdom of God is currently being extended (as in the parables of the mustard seed and the yeast), and the world will eventually be essentially Christianized.

• This will usher in a long period of peace and prosperity, and then the Lord will return.

• The 1000 years is not literal, but represents ‘a long period of time’.

• As Christ gave His authority and a commission to the church, these things will come to pass, by the power of the Holy Spirit. (Mt.28:18-20)

• The concept of ‘kingdom of God’ is similar to the understanding of Amillennials. The kingdom is the reign of Christ in the hearts of His people, but which will come to encompass the whole earth.

• Rev.7:9-10 speaks of ‘a great multitude that no man could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language’, which speaks of a world-wide church.

• We should not expect all of this to happen quickly, but it is happening as the gospel spreads and impacts more and more people.

• The Old Testament Scriptures predicting the initial coming of Christ were at times fulfilled figuratively (cf. Gen.3:15, Mal.4:5). There is no reason not to expect the same in regard to His 2nd coming.

• All of the promises of God for Israel are being fulfilled in the Church. (See passages such as Gal.6:16 and elsewhere where other names for God’s people Israel are applied to the Church.)

• Many passages speak of the whole world responding to the gospel (cf. Ps.47, 72, and 100; Is.45:22-25; Hos.2:23)

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The Case for "Pre-Trib Rapture" Dispensational Premillenialism

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Key Points:

-A future earthly 1000-year kingdom, which begins after the ‘rapture’ of Christians at the beginning of the Tribulation.

-This view involves an understanding that Israel is totally separate from the Church, that there are 2 Covenants at work today.

-Some day ‘Israel’ will be restored, with another Temple, Levitical priests, and animal sacrifices.

-A generally pessimistic view of the church and world affairs today.

 

• This position looks for a ‘rapture’ of believers before the Tribulation.

• Although it is a more recent view (only since 1835), the church often rediscovers truth as the Lord leads His church forward.

• It is based on an historic premillennial background, but adds a pre-tribulation rapture of believers.

• Christians will not go through the tribulation, for the nature of the tribulation is wrath on a rebellious world. (Rev.6:16-17) Christians are ordained to salvation, not wrath. (1 Thess.5:9)

• Jesus calls us to watch, that we may escape all things about to happen. (Lk.21:36)

• In Revelation, Jesus promises to keep the church from the trial that is coming upon the whole world. (Rev.3:10)

• The Church appears in the 4th and 5th chapters in glory, while there is no mention of the Church in the following tribulation chapters. Thus, a pre-tribulation rapture.

• Jesus seems to teach His return could come at any time. All other views (except Amillennialism) call for signs to happen first. (Jn.14:2-3; 1 Cor.15:51-52)

• There appears to be a difference between the ‘rapture’ passages elsewhere and Revelation. One set of Scriptures speaks of believers being removed. The second does not speak directly  of believers being removed, only suggesting that they have been before the Tribulation occurs.

 

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The Case for Historic Premillenialism

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Key Points:

-A future earthly 1000-year kingdom, which begins when Christ returns.

-A generally pessimistic view of the church and world affairs today.

 

 

• The natural reading of Revelation points to a literal reign of Christ on earth.

• This view harmonizes with the great promises of the Old Testament that have never been, and are not now being, fulfilled. These promises point to a reign of the Messiah on this earth over the nations (godly and ungodly).

• This position realizes, however, that certain promises cannot be literal and views them as being fulfilled in the New Testament Church. (i.e., the new Temple of Ezek. 40-47)

• Rev. 20 clearly follows Rev. 19, which speaks of the 2nd Coming. Thus the Millennium follows the 2nd Coming and does not precede it. (i.e., not post-millennial).

• The book of Revelation is read naturally as a sequence of events leading through the Tribulation, millennium, and new heavens.

• The ‘rapture’ of the saints comes after the Great Tribulation, as Jesus seems to teach in Lk.23:27-31, Mt.24:9-11, Mk.13:9-13, Jn.15:18-19, and Jn.16:1-3 and 33.

• The 2nd Coming is viewed as one event. (vs. Dispensationalists and vs. some Preterists).

• There is no reason the word ‘throne’ cannot be used as it naturally states- thrones set up on earth (vs. Amill.) This is consistent with passages that speak of saints being included in judgment and reigning.

• The words ‘came to life’, as in vs.4-5, always are used in Scripture for bodily resurrection; spiritualizing it is unwarranted.

• This view claims to best represent the literal interpretation of Scripture yet is balanced in its view of Old Testament prophecies. It avoids the stretching needed to spiritualize it, or to literalize it.

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​The Case for a Past-Millenium View 

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Key Points:

- The 1000 year period of Rev. 20 refers to the reign of Christ from the establishment of David’s kingdom and the Tabernacle of God’s presence in Jerusalem until the birth of Jesus.

- Rev. 20 provides another perspective on the same events as described in earlier chapters. 

 

• The book of Revelation involves a contrast between the Old Covenant with Israel/the Jews through the Law of Moses (signified by the Temple and the disobedient Jews and Jerusalem in that generation), and the New Covenant believers in Jesus (represented by the new Heavenly Jerusalem and the new bride, the Church).

• This view best connects to the chapters preceding Rev. 20 and to what follows, providing another lens for viewing the same group of events.

• This view answers the questions of “Why would Christ reign for only 1000 years?” and “Why would this 1000-year period, however otherwise it is understood, be part of God’s plan of salvation history?”

• The ‘key’ of v.1 points back to the ‘key of David’ in 3:7 and suggests a continuing focus on the period of the Messianic promises to David. (See also Is.22:22)

• The presence of David and his descendants as YHWH’s Kings, the character and closeness of YHWH to His people as expressed in His Law, the tabernacle/Temple being established in Jerusalem, the ministry of the prophets as God’s authoritative spokesmen, and YHWH's punishments for covenant disobedience- all would reveal the truths about God to the surrounding nations, so they would not be deceived. (cf. Dt.4:6-8, 2 Sam.7:18-26, Jer.22:8-9, Ezek.5:5-8, 14). But when Jesus’ life, death and resurrection established the New Covenant, the Jewish rejection of Him resulted in a renewed deception of the nations.

• The demonic activity seen in the New Testament (and not in the Old Testament), and culminating in the evils of the Jewish Revolt, would be explained by the release of Satan in v.7 at the end of the 1000 years.

• Rev.20:8-9, properly understood, suggest the same events of 64-70 AD as were described in earlier chapters.

• The ending judgment of individuals in vs.11-15 parallels the sheep and goats judgment at the end of the ‘Mount of Olives Discourse’ in Mt. 24-25.

• In vs. 4-6 those who judge and reign with Christ during the 1000 years- martyrs and those faithful despite persecution- parallel those of Rev.13:13-17 and Dan.7:18 and 26-27.

• The resurrection and final judgment portrayed in vs.11-15 could be yet in the future or perhaps at the end of the Old Covenant age.

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