A Roadmap for the Future

Nerdy Time

This chapter is a key passage in determining how you view the future.

There are three main views:

Pre: Present Age —> 2nd Coming —> Millennial Kingdom

Post: Present Age~~Millennial Kingdom —> Second Coming

A: Present Age = Millennial Kingdom —> Second Coming

There are five key questions:

Is the binding of Satan, present or future?

Satan still prowls around like a roaring lion seeking people to devour (1 Peter 5:8)

Is the “first resurrection” spiritual or physical?

The word “resurrection” is used 42 times, and always refers to physical resurrection. This would be the only exception. Also you would have to take the phrase “came to life” in verse 4 as meaning something totally different than the same phrase in verse 5.

Is the duration of the thousand years symbolic or literal?

There is no reason to think that the thousand year reference is symbolic. It is never used elsewhere symbolically, it is not absurd to take it literally here, it stands in contrast to “a short time” in verse 3, and it is repeated several times in the passage for emphasis.

Is the locale of the millennial reign heaven or earth?

The millennial kingdom is on earth because it fulfills the earth-based promises of the Abrahamic, Davidic, and New covenants. It is also characterized by the reign of the saints on earth, is ruled over by Christ who has returned to earth, and features the rolling back of the curse on earth and the restoration of Israel.

Is the chronology of Revelation 19:21-20:1 recapitulatory or sequential?

The phrase “and then” at the beginning of Revelation 20:1 is a marker of time, not a marker of a new vision. This means it is best understood as a continuation of the preceding passage. Remember that chapter breaks are inserted later. There is no indication of a major division in events in the original.