Revelation - Part 20

The 1,000 Year Reign

Revelation 20:1–6 ESV

1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

Millennial Views

Revelation 20:1–6 describes a 1,000-year reign of Christ, often called the Millennium. There are three major theological views regarding the nature and timing of this 1,000-year period:

1. Premillennialism

Key Idea: Jesus returns before the 1,000 years to establish a literal kingdom on earth.

Historic Premillennialism: Believers go through the tribulation. Christ returns, defeats evil, resurrects the righteous, and reigns for 1,000 years on earth. At the end, Satan is released for a short rebellion, which Christ crushes before the final judgment.

Dispensational Premillennialism: The church is raptured before a 7-year tribulation. Christ returns after the tribulation to reign for 1,000 years in a restored Jewish kingdom. This view distinguishes between Israel and the Church more sharply than historic premillennialism.

2. Amillennialism

Key Idea: The 1,000 years is symbolic, not literal—it represents the current Church Age.

Christ is reigning spiritually from heaven now.

The “first resurrection” refers to the spiritual resurrection (conversion or believers' souls in heaven).

Satan is "bound" in the sense that he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel to the nations.

The Millennium is happening now, and it ends when Christ returns for final judgment and the new creation.

3. Postmillennialism

Key Idea: Christ returns after a golden age of gospel success and peace.

The 1,000 years is either literal or symbolic.

Through evangelism and the influence of the Church, the world will gradually become more Christian and just.

After this extended period of righteousness, Christ returns to judge the world and usher in the eternal state.

The main issue I have with this view is that Paul specifically says that there would be perilous times in the last days. So, this idea that the world will get gradually better before Jesus comes back is problematic. How can the world get better BEFORE Jesus comes back? Based on the clear reading of Scripture, Jesus has to come back to make the world better, not the other way around.

Summary Comparison

Each view hinges on how literally or symbolically Revelation 20 is interpreted, how it fits into the broader biblical narrative, and the role of Israel, the Church, and Christ's kingdom.

The Key difference between Amillenialism and Premillennialism is that amillenials do not think this is a real 1,000 years. They think it is just symbolic. They also think it is happening now. Which is a bit of a contradiction. Most amillenials think the 7 years of tribulation either will not happen literally, or have already happened. Which is a preterist view that we consider heresy.

The key differences between Postmillennialism and Premillennialism center around the timing of Christ’s return, the nature of the 1,000 years, and the future outlook for the world.

I’ll walk through this a little more in detail.

1. Timing of Christ’s Return

Premillennialism: Christ returns before the 1,000 years to establish His kingdom on earth.

Postmillennialism: Christ returns after the 1,000 years, which is a period of peace and gospel victory.

2. Nature of the Millennium

Premillennialism: A literal, future 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth after His Second Coming. Jesus rules from Jerusalem.

Postmillennialism: A symbolic or extended era of gospel success and Christian influence on society before the Second Coming. Christ reigns through the Church, not bodily on earth.

3. Outlook on the Future

Premillennialism: The world will grow worse before Jesus returns. Expect widespread apostasy, tribulation, and the rise of the Antichrist.

Postmillennialism: The world will grow better as the gospel spreads. The nations will become more obedient to Christ over time.

4. Role of the Church

Premillennialism: The Church plays a faithful role but cannot usher in the kingdom. Jesus must return first to defeat evil and set things right.

Postmillennialism: The Church is instrumental in transforming the world through evangelism, discipleship, and godly influence.

5. The Tribulation

Premillennialism: Most believe in a future great tribulation. I don’t like to call it the 7 years of tribulation, because my understanding of the scripture is that it will be a 7 year period of time, and at the end of that 7 year period, God will pour out his wrath. I do not believe the entire 7 years will be plague after plague after plague. The wrath is near the end, and in the second half. The first 3.5 years will be the rise of the antichrist, and their will be hard times, but not “tribulation” from God.

Postmillennialism: Any tribulation is either past (e.g., 70 AD) or not central. The world improves overall up to the end. Like Amillienialism, this is preterism, which we strongly label heresy.

Summary Chart

Why does all this matter. Most things pertaining to the end times are left up to debate. When the rapture happens, what peace treaty will kick off the 7 years, who will be the antichrist, etc. However, the timing of the return of Jesus, and the wrath of God is important. Because if we believe the wrath of God has already happened, then there are no future consequences of how we are living on earth right now. The 7 years has to be in the future. The wrath has to be in the future. Perilous times has to be in the last days. And only Jesus coming to earth could every bring 1,000 years of peace. The church can’t bring peace to this world without Jesus. We can spread it. We can reach as many as we can, but until Satan is locked up and Jesus is on the throne, the peace we have will be on an individual basis. I can have peace if Jesus is on the throne of my life, and you can too… but the world won’t have peace until Jesus is on a literal throne in Jerusalem.

I personally think this 1,000 years of peace is God’s way of justifying wrath.

I believe we can divide up the Bible by covenants,

and see that God dealt with Adam and Eve differently than Noah

And different from Abraham

and different still from Moses

and the judges

and then the kings

and then the church

and finally, he will rule himself.

and that will prove that we tried every type of goverent to bring peace

and only the one that puts Jesus on the throne works

Innocence in a Garden with only one rule didn’t work

Anarchy with no rules before Noah’s flood didn’t work.

635 laws of Moses didn’t work

Judges to keep them in line didn’t work

Kings like the other nations, didn’t work

The church age where grace was freely available to whosoever will didn’t even work.

because people don’t even realize they need grace.

Once Jesus is fully in control, and no one can be tempted by satan

Then the whole world will have peace for 1,000 years straight

even the wolf will lay down with the lamb according to Isaiah the prophet.

It is a way to prove God’s point, IMO.

It is this 1,000 year kindom of Christ that the OT prophets were waiting for.

And it is one of the main reasons they rejected Jesus

They didn’t understand that Isaiah 53, and 63 would happen before Is 2, 11, and 65.

Other OT Passages that have millennial themes are Ps 72, Zech 14, Micha 4, Ezek 40-48.

Jesus alluded to it in Matt 19.28

Matthew 19:28 ESV

28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Luke 22:29–30 ESV

29 and I assign to you, as my Father assigned to me, a kingdom, 30 that you may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom and sit on thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

So, they will eat and drink with their Savior again

Meaning it is a literal place on earth, not something symbolic.

The fact that the wolf will lie down with the lamb during this time also proves it is on earth because at the end of Revelation, one of the things listed as being outside of Heaven is all dogs.

The disciples were told that Jesus would literally return to earth the same way he went up and put his feet on the mount of olives causing an earthquake.

There is nothing to indicate that would be symbolic.

Jesus is really coming back

and he is going to really fight evil in the battle of Armegeddon

and we will really rule with him for 1,000 years of peace.

Now, what happens after the 1000 years?

Revelation 20:7–10 ESV

7 And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will come out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea. 9 And they marched up over the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and consumed them, 10 and the devil who had deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and sulfur where the beast and the false prophet were, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.

So, satan is released from the pit

and right away the peace is gone

They start forming up for another battle

This is not the battle of Armageddon

This is another battle that we don’t even need to fight

The battle ends with fire coming down from heaven and consuming them all.

And then satan is sent to the same place the antichrist and the false prohpet were already at, which is the lake of fire.

The Great White Throne Judgement

Revelation 20:11–15 ESV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Revelation 20:11 ESV

11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.

It appears the material universe that we enjoyed for 1,000 years is now gone.

There is no need for it.

There will be a new heaven and new Earth, but I do no believe it will be a material world. It will be made of something other than dirt.

Revelation 20:12 ESV

12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.

Here he says, the dead were judged.

Many apostolics, and perhaps others also, believe this means we will not be judge here.

We were judged by Christ after the rapture or resurrection of those dead in Christ.

So, depending on your views here, you might say that all the ones Judged here are already lost. This is just a sentencing hearing.

However, some would argue that the “dead before Christ” might be judged here too. Like Moses, Noah, ect.

But many people believe that even the OT saints were considered “dead in Christ” even if they died under the OT law.

In Paul’s writings, “in Christ” usually refers to those who are united to Jesus by faith, whether before or after the cross.

Romans 4 says Abraham was justified by faith, and Paul calls him the father of all who believe.

So many theologians argue: anyone truly saved, before or after Jesus, is considered “in Christ” by extension.

So, if that is the case, this judgment in Rev 20, is only for those going to hell.

It isn’t like the cartoons where there is a long line and two doors

one that has fire coming out from under it

and another with light coming through the cracks

and God just pointing to one door or the other.