The Inauguration: Christ's Return and the Millennium

Introduction

When you are invited to speak at an event, you want to make a lasting impression. You want to be unforgettable. You really want it to be the life-changing power of your message that people remember. Almost regardless of what happens this morning, I am going to be remembered as “the key man.”

Let me share something of my journey with Revelation and with end-time theories. I have been a passionate student of God’s Word for 29 years. I have more degrees than common senses. I can read the NT in Greek with relative ease. But I have never felt like I had Revelation figured out, and I don’t think I ever will.

Bible scholars divide into three main groups depending on how they understand the reference to 1000 years in : premillennials, postmillennials, and amillennials. (Millennium comes from the Latin for 1000 years.) But the postmillennials are like the ACDP, the Christian political party—virtually irrelevant.

Almost everyone is either amillennial or premillennial. The premillennials believe that Jesus will return and rule on earth for 1000 years before a final rebellion and judgement. In other words, after the church age, they expect a literal earthly kingdom of Christ for 1000 years. They interpret the 1000 years of literally. The amillennials do not believe that there will be a literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth. They believe that when Jesus returns, there will be final judgement for all followed by the eternal state. They interpret the 1000 years of figuratively.

Introduce tribulation theories as the domain of the pretribbers.

So, where do I stand?

About the only thing I am sure about is that we are all going to be wrong! The Jewish scholars had various theories about the first coming of Christ; what actually happened proved them all wrong. Christian scholars have all these fanciful theories about his second coming; what will actually happen is likely to falsify all our theories.

To quote Rick Godwin, the Lord wants us to occupy ourselves until he comes, not to occupy ourselves with his coming.

With respect to the rapture theories:

Pray to go; prepare to stay.

About my own journey, I got radically saved at 16 into an AOG church that believed in a pretribulation rapture and a literal 1000-year reign of Christ. I completed my BA and MA at AOG theological institutions that only taught the pretrib premill view. I believed and taught it, but one day I was studying in combination with a pretrib commentary and I became persuaded that the theory was just too fanciful. So I abandoned pretribulationism, but continued to support the premillennial view, but I hold it lightly.

What is Revelation about?

ἀποκαλυψις Ἰησου Χριστου: It is the revelation of Jesus Christ. Jesus is the subject of the book. As I see it, the book essentially tells us that in this world we, as God’s children, will have tribulations, but we should take heart because God is in control directing all things towards his intended end.

How does Revelation communicate?

Revelation communicates through visions! The visions are build with symbols. The symbols point to things in the real world, but they do not transfer literally into the real world. So we are dealing with two worlds. First, we have the world of the vision—what John sees, full of symbolism. Second, we have the real world. John’s visions means something for the real world, but determining what exactly is difficult.

1. The Parousia

1.1. The King Comes

Revelation 19:11–16 NIV

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and wages war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Coming out of his mouth is a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. “He will rule them with an iron scepter.” He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: king of kings and lord of lords.

How does this portrait of Jesus help us not to be deceived, distraught, or distracted?

Deceived

Firstly, the return of Jesus Christ as the conquering King will not be a secret, obscure event. We should not fall for groups like the JWs who claim that he returned secretly in 1914.

Secondly, the person of Jesus Christ as the just Judge should not be denied. We should not fall for popular portrayals of Jesus as only “nice” and “kind.”

Distraught

We are invited to play in a rugby match. At first we are distraught because our powers are, to say the least, limited. Then we discover that we are surrounded by All Blacks, mighty and peerless. We are no longer afraid, because we are on the winning side.

Firstly, the fact that Jesus is coming back and that he is the King of kings empowers us to endure suffering.

Secondly, the fact that Jesus is coming back and that he is the just Judge enables us to endure injustice.

Distracted

We want to be on his side when he comes. This should motivate us to keep our eyes fixed upon him.

1.2. The King conquers

Revelation 19:17–21 NIV

And I saw an angel standing in the sun, who cried in a loud voice to all the birds flying in midair, “Come, gather together for the great supper of God, so that you may eat the flesh of kings, generals, and the mighty, of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, great and small.” Then I saw the beast and the kings of the earth and their armies gathered together to wage war against the rider on the horse and his army. But the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who had performed the signs on its behalf. With these signs he had deluded those who had received the mark of the beast and worshiped its image. The two of them were thrown alive into the fiery lake of burning sulfur. The rest were killed with the sword coming out of the mouth of the rider on the horse, and all the birds gorged themselves on their flesh.

Revelation 19:17-

Jesus, who came first as a lamb, comes again as a lion. Some interpreters see the beast as an individual, the antichrist, and the false prophet as his right-hand man. Others see them as embodying the false political and religious systems of the world that war against God’s people in every age.

How does this portrait of Jesus conquering help us not to be deceived, distraught, or distracted?

Deceived

We should avoid the lie that God will not judge the wicked.

We should avoid the lie that there is no hell.

Distraught

I think we can use the same points as above.

Distracted

The primacy of evangelism over creation care

…

2. The Millennium

2.1. Satan is bound

Revelation 20:1–3 NIV

And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years. He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.

2.2. Saints are blessed

Revelation 20:4–6 NIV

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They 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 a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. 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.

2.3. Satan is judged

Revelation 20:7–10 NIV

When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—and to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God’s people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

How does this fact of final judgement help us not to be deceived, distraught, or distracted? (We will treat vv. 1-10 together.)

Deceived

Satan is subject to God, a pawn in his plans.

Distraught

The result is not in doubt. If we are faithful to Christ, we reign with him forever.

God does not run a democracy! Even if the entire world conspires and unites against him, his truth, and his people, he prevails. We can think of this in relation to ideas like LGBT+ debates.

Distracted

2.4. Sinners are judged

Revelation 20:11–15 NIV

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. The earth and the heavens fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what they had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. Anyone whose name was not found written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire.

How does this fact of final judgement help us not to be deceived, distraught, or distracted?

Not deceived

There is perfect justice in this world. Every person who rejects the gospel will reap what they sowed.

Nobody will be saved by works. Nobody can be saved apart from Jesus Christ.

Not distraught

, “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” If we are in Christ, we need not be distraught about final judgement.

God is just and fair. The Judge of all the earth will do right ()! Tell the story of my dad.

Not distracted

We should not be distracted from sharing the gospel with the lost. Nobody can be saved apart from Jesus Christ.

The most important priority in life is guarding our walk with Christ. If your business fails, it’s a short-lived problem.

Conclusion