A Thousand Years (Four Different Viewpoints)

Text: Revelation 20 (NKJV: Part 1)

Primary Audience: Believers

CIT: John saw Satan bound, and believers ruling with Jesus.

Proposition: Satan is bound, and believers rule with Jesus.

Purpose: To help believers understand their now and future standing in Christ, and to help unbelievers see their need for Christ.

Title: A Thousand Years (Four Different Viewpoints)

Outline

1) Historic Premillennialism

2) Dispensational Premillennialism

3) Post-millennialism

4) Amillennialism

Read Revelation 20 (NKJV)

Prayer

Introduction: When you have a conversation among good Christians concerning things in the Bible, if you talk long enough, it doesn’t take long for you to find that there are things, topics if you will, in God’s word that they disagree about. For example, if you discuss the days of creation at the beginning of Genesis, it probably won’t be long until the question of their length comes up. Were those creation days 24 hours, or were they longer periods of time? (I heard a pastor say, not too long ago, “I don’t think people who believe those days in Genesis are more than just 24-hour days take the Bible seriously!” ---- REALLY!) That’s something good Christians disagree about, and there are various arguments one can use to defend either of of the views. Here’s another example, take for instance the timing of the rapture. When does it happen? Is it before the great tribulation, in the middle of it, or at the end; or is there a view that kind of combines each of these in some manner? I once heard deacon proudly say, “We, here at XYZ Baptist Church, view the rapture as happening at the middle of a future tribulation because we know that’s what God’s word teaches!” I wanted to look at him and say, really, are you sure you want to give an account to God one day for requiring your membership to believe something that you yourself can’t completely prove, one Christians have disagreed about for centuries? All of that said, I want to ask you a question, which I believe is vastly more important, does your salvation hinge upon questions like these? I think you all know the answer. ---- The answer is NO! (Although there are people out there who seem to think that it does.) If you die before Jesus returns, and you stand at the pearly gates, you’re not going to be asked about your views concerning the length of days at creation or when the rapture is going to occur. No, you’re going to be asked one question, “What did you do with Jesus Christ?”, and your answer to that solitary question is what will either get you in or keep you out. Nothing else! Friends, to believe that a person must hold a certain position on certain controversial topics in Scripture that are gray areas, in relation to their salvation, is to add to the gospel, plain and simple. Sure, there are fundamentals of the Christian faith we, as Christians, must all believe and not waver on, things like the Trinity, the virgin birth, the deity of Christ, and a few others, but we must allow room for discussion and even disagreement on those topics considered to be gray areas. The passage we’re looking at today, Revelation 20, is one of those gray areas. In Rev. 20 John tells us that Satan is bound, and believers are ruling with Jesus. That sounds simple enough, right(?), but there are different ways Christians understand what’s described in these verses as playing out in human history. This morning is going to be a little different as I want to give you an overview of the different ways believers understand the thousand years of Rev. 20, the millennium.

Premillennialism: The first view is called pre-millennialism. It’s called pre-millennialism because the prefix pre points to the belief that Jesus will return before, or prior to the millennium. That is, he will return and set up a physical kingdom here on earth. Now, when you talk about premillennialism, there are two different forms of it, Dispensational Premillennialism and then, Historic Premillennialism.

When considering these two views, and how they view the thousand years in Revelation 20, it’s important to note that Historic Premillennialism is much, much older (around 1800 years!). That’s why it’s called Historic Premillennialism. Several of the early church fathers held this view, and originally it was known by a word derived from the Greek, chiliasm, which is where the Latin word milli-annum (milli: 1000 + annum: year = 1000 years or millennium). This view was very popular for the first three to four-hundred years of church history, but eventually fell out of favor with interpreters who opted for the amillennial view which we’ll talk about in a few minutes. But first, what is Historic Premillennialism and how does it view the thousand years?

-At its most basic, Historic Premillennialism says that when Jesus came, he brought the kingdom with him and it’s here now, but there’s still more to come after he returns. That “more to come” will come to fruition during the future millennium mentioned in Rev. 20. Historic Premillennialists would point to several OT passages that seem to point to this view. For example, Isaiah 11; Isaiah 65; and Zechariah 14, just to name a few. That said, one of the big questions that comes up when talking about this perspective is how it views Israel and the church? For the most part Historic Premillennialists say that there is a future for ethnic Israel, God is not finished with his OT people, however, that future does not exist outside of Jesus Christ and his church. Therefore, the purpose of the millennium in Rev. 20 isn’t necessarily to fulfill promises to Israel, but instead its purpose is to fulfill those OT passages that speak of the Messiah ruling and reigning on this earth, that which Adam was supposed to do, but failed. Concerning the fulfillment of promises to the nation of Israel, Historic Premillennialist would point you to 2 Corinthians 1:20 which says this, “20 For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ …” (2 Cor. 1:20a, NIV84). The point being that all those OT promises are fulfilled in the person and work of Jesus. Southern Baptist theologian Russell Moore, who holds this view, does a good job summing things up when he writes this,

“The remnant of Israel – a biological descendent of Abraham, a circumcised Jewish first born son who is approved of by God for his obedience to the covenant – receives all the promises due to him. Israel is Jesus of Nazareth, who, as promised to Israel, is raised from the dead and marked out with the Spirit (Ezek. 37:13-14; Rom. 1:2-4). All the promises of God “find their Yes in him” (2 Cor. 1:20), as Paul puts it, and this yes establishes a Jew like Paul with Gentiles like the Corinthians “in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee” (2 Cor. 1:21-22). The Spirit guarantees what? It guarantees that all who share in the Spirit of Christ are “joint heirs with Christ” of his promised inheritance (Rom. 8:17, NKJV).”[1]

Another question that comes up when talking about Historic Premillennialism concerns the rapture. When do they believe it will happen? The vast majority of those holding to Historic Premillennialism believe that the rapture occurs at the end of the tribulation, with the rapture and the second coming being one and the same event. (This is what’s known as the post-tribulation rapture). (Interpreters who hold this view: Craig Keener; Russell Moore; Albert Mohler; DA Carson; Max Lucado.)

The second form of premillennialism is known as Dispensational Pre-tribulational Premillennialism. This view is common in the United States, and it’s probably the view most of you have been exposed to. It became popular with the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible. Historically speaking, Dispensationalism is a relatively new, only having come to the theological table as a complete system in the last 200 years. That, however, shouldn’t necessarily be an argument against it. So, what is this view, and what is its perspective on the millennium of Rev. 20?

-The first thing that needs to be said of Dispensationalism is that as its complete name Dispensational Pre-tribulational Premillennialism, suggests, it is pre-tribulational. That is, Dispensationalists believe the rapture happens before the tribulation which is, by Dispensationalists, taken to be a seven-year period of time that’s, according to their system, described in Rev. 4-19. In the pre-tribulation rapture, Jesus will come down from heaven, never touching the earth, and call the church up to meet him (1 Thess. 4:13-18). Then, believers will go back to heaven until the events described in Rev. 4-19 are completed on earth. During this time, there’s a new temple that’s built in Jerusalem complete with a revived sacrificial system (Ezek. 40-48). Also, the anti-Christ makes a peace treaty with the Jews, one which he breaks after three and a half years of peace, leading to three and a half more years of all out hell on earth until the return of Christ with his church in Rev. 19. It’s at that point when Jesus will set up the Millennial Kingdom for one-thousand years and in it, he will fulfill all the OT promises made to national Israel. *Something important to note here is this, older forms of Dispensationalism seemed to completely reject the idea that the kingdom could be here now in any form, but virtually all modern Dispensationalists reject this and are probably more in-line with what’s known as Progressive Dispensationalism. In other words, they would say that the kingdom is here now in a spiritual since, but there’s more to come in the future, and that more to come has a major focus on national Israel. (Interpreters who hold this position: John MacArthur; David Jeremiah; and scholars Darrel Bock; Craig Blaising.)

Post-Millennialism: The next view is what’s known as post-millennialism, and it’s the one view that most of you probably know the least about, and there’s good reason for that, which we’ll discuss in a minute. But first, what is this view and how does it take what’s said in Revelation 20?

-The first thing to know about post-millennialism is that, as the name hints at, Jesus returns after or post the millennium of Rev. 20. That means people who hold this view believe that the millennium of Rev. 20 is a future period, we don’t know when, but one that will be brought about by the church’s effort in preaching and spreading the gospel, at the end of which Jesus will return. Theologian Wayne Grudem gives, what it in my opinion, a good definition of the post-millennial view in his book on systematic theology. He writes this,

“The progress of the gospel and the growth of the church will gradually increase, so that a larger and larger proportion of the world’s population will be Christians. As a result, there will be significant Christian influences on society, society will function more and more according to God’s standards, and gradually a “millennial age” of peace and righteousness will occur on the earth. This “millennium” will last for a long period of time (not necessarily a literal one thousand years), and finally, at the end of this period, Christ will return to earth, believers and unbelievers will be raised, the final judgment will occur, and there will be a new heaven and new earth. We will then enter into the eternal state.”[2]

In other words, in post-millennialism, it’s the job of the church, through the spreading of the gospel message, to bring in the complete kingdom on earth. Post-millennialists would point you to many of the parables Jesus told, especially the parable of the mustard seed (Mt. 13) which teaches that the kingdom will grow and grow. ---- Now, when you think about it, that’s an awesome view to hold and often those who are post-millennialist are serious soul winners for the kingdom. In fact, it was this view of Rev. 20 that drove the missionary movement of the 18th-early 20th centuries. Men like William Carry, Adonirom Judson, and Andrew Fuller were all post-millennialists. Chances are, if you could build a time machine and go back to the founding days of this church, post-millennialism would have been the dominate view most of the members would have held. So, what happened? ---- WW1. ---- When war broke out in Europe in 1914 and then gradually grew until it encompassed most countries on planet earth, post-millennialism all but disappeared, and then a few years later, WW2. That said, however, post-millennialism is making a slight comeback in some circles today, and although this isn’t the view I hold to, when you think about it, it’s an awesome perspective. Why(?), because in post-millennialism the church will conquer the nations with the gospel!

-Now, you probably caught the fact there that I said I don’t hold this view. Here’s why. 1) I love the fact that post-millennialism is so optimistic, but when I read the Bible, although I think the gospel will triumph, I see the church as being persecuted more and more the closer we get to the return of Christ, not the other way around. 2) Most post-millennialists take the book of Revelation to have been written prior to AD 70 and the destruction of the Tempe in Jerusalem. Even though I respect that opinion, I don’t think it’s correct. I tend to agree with those who say Revelation was most likely written somewhere around AD 90-96. (So, in concluding our discussion about post-millennialism, who holds this view? many early missionaries, many Baptists of the 18th through 20th centuries, today: Kenneth Gentry: Tenn. Temple University)

Amillennialism: The last view we’ll discuss is called a-millennialism. The “a” there at the beginning is an alpha privative which means that it negates what comes after it, so the name a-millennialism literally means no millennium. Now, before you get too excited, people who hold this view do believe there is a millennium, they simply believe it’s going on now. In other words, the period between the ascension and the second coming, or at least right before it constitutes the millennium. Most a-millennialists prefer the name realized millennialism instead, meaning the millennium is being realized, or going on right now. So, how does an a-millennialist interpret Rev. 20?

-First, they would argue that the binding of Satan happened through the work of Christ in his first coming. After all, didn’t Jesus himself say this concerning Satan and the kingdom, “28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, surely the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man (that being Satan)? And then he will plunder his house. 30 He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad” (Mt 12:28–30, NKJV)? For an a-millennialist, this means that Satan is bound now when it comes to the message of the gospel.

-Second, concerning the resurrections mentioned in Rev. 20, whereas a premillennialist says there are two bodily resurrections a thousand years apart, a-millennialists have a slightly different opinion, typically taking one of two positions. 1) the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4) is a reference to the soul’s ascension to heaven when a believer dies (the word throne in Revelation is used to refer to heavenly thrones in all but one place, that being Satan’s throne in Rev. 2:13), or 2) the first resurrection is a reference to the point in a person’s life when he/she becomes a believer. For this view an a-millennialist will point to passages like Ephesians 2:4-7, “4 But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, 5 even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), 6 and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus” (Eph. 2:4–7, NKJV).

-Third, and finally, a-millennialists believe that the Battle of Gog and Magog (Rev. 20:7-10) is the same battle that’s described in chapter 19, the battle of Armageddon. In fact, the battle, according to the a-millennialist, has already been described in several places in Revelation, namely, Rev. 9:13-21 and Rev. 16:12-16. And yes, there is warrant for this interpretation in the Greek text itself because every time this battle is mention in Revelation, it is called in the Greek, the battle, τὸν πόλεμον, pointing to the fact that there is only one final battle, not two separated by a thousand years. That, in turn would seem to mean that this thousand-year period mentioned in Rev. 20 must, at least according to a-millennialists, happen before the return of Christ. It must, therefore be, a symbolic number John uses to refer to the church age, in which we now live. So, when you hear some, dogmatic preacher who makes the comment, “Oh, those a-millennialists, they all just spiritualize God’s holy word!”, Don’t you buy it for one second! ---- Did you notice that I got that a-millennial interpretation by pointing to Scripture, and not spiritualizing anything?

Conclusion: So, in conclusion, where am I going with all of this? Why did I go through all these different views of Rev. 20? I went through them to show you that each one of them is a possible interpretation. Also, I want you to understand crystal clearly that good Christians disagree over what John means in this text. Your interpretation of what the millennium is, is NOT a matter that relates to your salvation. Yes, the way you view the millennium will affect how you read other things in your Bible, but your salvation hinges upon, and only upon whether you believe the gospel message concerning Jesus, the Son of God. That said, I know some of you are wondering what I think about the millennium, well, to get that you’re going to have to come back next week.

Closing Prayer

[1] A Theology for the Church, 707.

[2] Wayne Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine, Second Edition. (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Academic, 2020), 1371.