PREMILLENNIALISM IN REVELATION 20:1-6

The book of Revelation is one of the most intriguing, difficult and controversial pieces of literature ever to be written. Over the last 2000 years there have been countless theories, views, commentaries, and other writings on many of the topics which lay within its pages. One of the most popular of these topics is the Millennial Systems. There are many different views and also several different versions of millennial systems however; the view that harmonizes the best through the entire context of Scripture and flows with the least problems is Dispensational Premillennialism. We can best understand this approach by examining Revelation chapter 20:1-6 and the passages that relate to this text from other areas of the Scriptures.

Historical Context
The literary genres of the book of Revelation are an Apocalypse, a Prophecy, and an Epistle (or Letter). It was authored by the Apostle John while imprisoned on the small island of Patmos at approximately 95 A.D. It was originally written to the seven churches in Asia Minor (Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea). His main purpose for penning the letter was to encourage Christians and to reveal the future of what must take place after these things (4:1). Johns intention was to reveal or unveil the future for his audience to understand what formerly had been veiled or hidden. Enns explains, The word revelation is derived from the Greek word apokalupsis, which means disclosure or unveiling. Hence, revelation signifies God unveiling Himself to mankind1. For this reason, the name of this book is Revelation or The Revelation of Jesus Christ.

Enns, P.P.. The Moody handbook of theology . Chicago: Moody Press, 1997. (155)

Revelation 1:19, describes a basic outline of the entire letter written by John, Therefore write the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will take place after these things this is the pattern that is followed by John throughout his letter. In chapters 1-3, John describes the past and his present. Then in chapters 4-22 he explains, as best he could, what he saw pertaining to the future events that will occur. In chapter 5, the Lamb looking as if it had been slain, the only one who is worthy, opens the seals of the scroll and from this point literal and relentless destruction of judgment called the Tribulation begins on the earth. Throughout chapters 6 to 16 John describes seven Seals of Judgment, which begin seven Trumpets of Judgment and then seven Bowls of Judgment (which included Armageddon). The devastating judgment continues and leads up to chapter 20 when the Messiah Jesus Christ returns to physically set up His kingdom on the earth and reign for 1000 years, as he promised in 2 Samuel 7:10-11, I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. The Premillennial view understands that the believers of the church age will be raptured prior to the 1000 year (millennial) reign of Christ on the earth and the He will be the one to establish His Messianic Kingdom. He will return physically to reign as promised; at Christs ascension the angels told the disciples, Why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven (Acts 1:11). The Messiah will return physically to the earth at the Second Coming in the same way that He left after His first coming. This is opposed by the Postmillennial view in which there will be a general resurrection rather than a rapturing and will occur after the 1000 years reign and that the Church will establish the Kingdom and then Christ will come. The present Church age blends into the millennium by a gradual progression of the Gospel. Morality and godliness become a blessing in society; the world

condition gradually transforms not into a perfect state, but a long utopian like period of time. LloydJones wrote, Proponents of this view do not teach that the millennium means a reign by our Lord in His glorified body on the earth, but that He will come as King at the end of the millennium2. This was the most popular view in history. However, this has become less popular in the 20th century as a result of the numerous wars and the World Wars that took place. The third view, the Amillennial view, believes that there will be no 1000 year reign of Christ at all. The Church age is the only kingdom that will be and after Christ will come in a general resurrection. Walvoord explains, The millennial reign of Christ is reduced to a spiritual reign in the hearts of believers. This reign is either over those on earth who put their trust in Him or over those in heaven. Both the amillennial and postmillennial views must interpret Revelation 20 in a nonliteral sense3.

The Problem of Increased Sinfulness

First, the problem of sin that is, and always has been, assaulting the world and its inhabitants grows worse and worse as time continues. Throughout history sin persists and increases. In contrast, the Postmillennial view explains that there will be 1000 years of peace before Christ returns; Karleen writes, The Church will be responsible for bringing in an age of unprecedented prosperity and spiritual health4. This is largely inconsistent with all that has ever been experienced by sinful history of man on earth. It is impossible to declare a time in any history, not to mention recent history, when there hasnt been war or desperation of dilemma somewhere on the planet.
2

Lloyd-Jones, D. M. (1998). The church and the last things (214215). Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books.

Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary. (1983-). The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures (Re 19:1921). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
4

Karleen, P.S.. The handbook to Bible study : With a guide to the Scofield study system. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. (297)

Jesus explained that sin would be increased as a sign of the coming Kingdom in Matthew 24 and Luke 17. Why would we expect peace instead of an increase of sinfulness in the world? In Matthew 24:37-39, Jesus told the disciples that the world will behave as they did during Noahs time, As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. As is consistent with the Premillennial position that sin will increase until the return of Christ to reign in His earthly kingdom. Rall confirms, The first requirement of the Premillennial position is the utter hopelessness of the present situation. The whole theory falls to the ground unless one holds that the world is evil and is constantly growing worse5. On this note, the Bible explains that Satan is loose in the earth and busy influencing men, governments and false religions up until the time of Christs return and His Kingdom is established. Until then man is in the snare of the devil, having been held captive by him to do his will (2 Timothy 2:26). Satan is the the god of this world he is continually and relentlessly blinding the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. The understanding of an imminent millennium of total peace while Satan is ravaging the earth is troublesome even logically. While examining Revelation 20:1-3, we can find that this passage gives a compelling case for the Premillennial view on this topic of sin: 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.

Rall, Harris Franklin. "Premillennialism: I. The Issue." The Biblical World Vol. 53 no. No. 4 (Jul., 1919): pp. 339-347.

Immediately the beginning of this passage states that Satan is helplessly bound. The failing fight against the master influence of sin is removed, Satan himself. Verse 1, an angel descends from heaven and seizes the dragon (Satan) and locks him in the Abyss and seals it which prevents him from further deceiving the nations. With Satan removed the problem of sin is sufficiently understood and answered. This is consistent with the Premillennial view of the coming Kingdom of Jesus Christ. In return, sin forces believers to look closely and yearn for the imminent coming of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Rapture and Resurrection

All the church age looks forward to the rapture (caught up) of the church, Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we shall always be with the Lord (1 Thessalonians 4:17). It is believed by Premillennialists that the church will be raptured prior to the Tribulation judgments as described in Revelation 6-19. It is not believed that the church experiences the judgments of the wrath of the Lamb (6:16). Gods wrath was poured upon Jesus Christ at Calvary taking the punishment for the repentant sinner the LORD was pleased To crush Him (Isaiah 53:10). If this is truly the case, that Jesus endured the wrath that we deserve and bore our sins in his body on the tree (1 Peter 2:24), than it can be understood why the Apostle Paul taught, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus (Romans 8:1). Thus it is consistent with the Premillennial view that God will not pour His wrath on the Bride of Christ. Gods wrath, the wrath of the Lamb is not intended for the Bride of Christ. Ed Hindson explains, He wouldnt be much of a husband if He beat her up and then took her to the wedding reception! I believe that the church, the Bride of Christ, will have already been raptured home to

glory6. The mention of the church (ekklsia) last appears in chapter 3 and does not appear again until verse 22:16. It is not mentioned at anytime during the Seal Judgments, Trumpet Judgments, or Bowl Judgment; during all of the tragic and daunting events never once is the church mentioned as experiencing these judgments. We see the saints out of the church age in heaven, before the throne in 5:10. They will reign upon the earth with Christ when they return with Him in 19:11-16. In chapter 19, the Lord Jesus begins His millennial reign on earth; this is the Second Advent; the Second Coming of Christ. He returns with His army (19:14), The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. This army is the believers who were raptured out of the earth prior to the judgments of the Tribulation (5:10). This is the Bride of Christ (the church) and is dressed in the same garments that she wore in the Marriage Supper of the Lamb (vs.7-8), For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready. Fine linen, bright and clean, was given her to wear. We know that the armies that return with Christ is the Church Age Saints and that they will reign with Christ for 1000 years. Zechariah wrote concerning the Messiah, Then the Lord my God will come, and all the holy ones with him (Zechariah 14:5). This is only understandable if the Church Age believers were taken to be with Christ so that they could return with Him. The Postmillennial view explains that Christ does not return until after the 1000 year reign; however this is troublesome for their approach, because it is consistent with the Premillennialists view of the end times. Next, in Revelation chapter 20:4-6, we see a resurrection; these are the Tribulation Saints, as we can easily read, And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They are resurrected so that they might
6

Hindson, Edward. The Book Of Revelation: Unlocking The Future. AMG Publishers, 2002. 92

rule and reign with Jesus Christ and the Church Age Saints for 1000 years also. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years (vs. 4). The Apostle Paul calls this the First Resurrection (vs. 5). This is juxtaposing to the second resurrection which occurs after the millennial reign, The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. These are the unsaved unbelieving who will be thrown into the lake of fire (vs. 15). The resurrection that occurs during the millennial reign of Christ is troublesome and conflicts with the Postmillennial view, but again it is consistent and expected from the Premillennial view.

Post Second Coming Events

Chapter 20:1-6 describes the promised Messianic earthly reign of Christ with his Bride (the Church) and the resurrection of Tribulation believers. It would be puzzling that these events occur after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ in chapter 19 unless the Premillennial approach to the end times were valid. Everything that the Apostle John describes during the 1000 year reign in chapter 20 of Revelation will happen after the second coming of Jesus Christ. This is the view of Premillennialism. The Israelites were waiting for the Messiah to reign physically on earth. The disciples expected it also and asked Jesus after the resurrection, Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel? Zechariah wrote concerning the Second Coming, and On that day his feet will stand on the Mount of Olives (Zechariah 14:4); this obviously assumes and requires a physical return. In Revelation 19-20 the prophecy of Jesus fulfills the prophecy of the Old Testament as He reigns on earth as promised. The timing of the prophecy was the problem with the Jews as they rejected Jesus Christ because He didnt come as and when they expected; He came the first time to save and not reign; all of this will occur after His Second Coming.

To summarize and conclude, the information that we find concerning the Premillennial view of the reign of Christ is that it confronts, explains and answers the current problem of increasing sin in the world and its consistency in the past. Premillennialism explains how the pretribulation rapture is vital and necessary to the Second Advent of Jesus Christ in chapter 19 as he returns with His army the Bride of Christ (19:7-10). During this physical millennial reign on earth there will be the First Resurrection (vs. 5). This is the resurrection of the Tribulation Saints and they too will reign with Him for a thousand years (20:6). The events which are described in chapter 20:1-6 are entirely post Second Advent; every event during this 1000 year period occurs after Jesus Christ. The approach of Premillennialism is the most consistent view of the end times concerning the return of Christ and harmonizes the best with Revelation chapter 20 and the context of the entirety of Scripture.

Bibliography
Enns, P.P. The Moody handbook of theology . Chicago: Moody Press, 1997. 155

Hindson, Edward. The Book Of Revelation: Unlocking The Future. AMG Publishers, 2002. 92

Karleen, P.S.. The handbook to Bible study : With a guide to the Scofield study system. New York: Oxford University Press, 1987. 297 Lloyd-Jones, D. M. The church and the last things Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway Books. (1998). 214215

Rall, Harris Franklin. "Premillennialism: I. The Issue." The Biblical World Vol. 53 no. No. 4 (Jul., 1919). 339-347

Walvoord, J. F., Zuck, R. B., & Dallas Theological Seminary.. The Bible knowledge commentary : An exposition of the scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books. (1983-). (Re 19:1921)