Revelation Paper

LIBERTY UNIVERSITY
CONTRASTING VIEWS OF THE MILLENNIUM

A RESEARCH PAPER SUBMITTED TO
IHAB GRIESS, Ph.D.
FOR BIBL364 D04 200940

BY
WILLIAM D. JONES (L00145873)

WHITING, VT
FEBRUARY 13, 2010

Introduction
There is much debate and discussion over the Millennium in chapter 20 oI Revelation. The
Millennium is not mentioned anywhere else in Scripture.
1
However, much has been written and
nearly every commentary has made an attempt to describe or explain the meaning oI this
passage. It seems that there are more questions than answers. What is the Millennium? Is it
really 1000 years, or is it symbolic oI an age? Is it a physical 1000 years on earth or a spiritual
reign in a spiritual realm? There are three approaches to the discussion. They are labeled
amillennialism, post-millennialism, and pre-millennialism. Each view has its strengths and
weaknesses.

I. Amillennial View
A. Basic Premises
i) The amillennial view interprets the Millennium, as mentioned in the Iirst six
verses oI Revelation chapter 20, to mean, 'there will be no kingdom on earth with
Christ reigning over it.
2
The history oI this view is an old one. It can be seen in
the works oI Origen and Clement oI Alexandria. Augustine also believed and
taught this view. These men believed that the Bible was not to be interpreted
literally, but allegorically.
3
This allegorical system oI interpretation, when
applied to prophecy, gives birth to an amillennial view.

1
u 8 W Wood and l Poward Marshall New 8lble ulctloooty 3rd ed (LelcesLer Lngland uowners
Crove lll lnLervarslLy ress 1996) 338
2
aul S karleen 1be nooJbook to 8lble 5toJy wltb o ColJe to tbe 5coflelJ 5toJy 5ystem (new ?ork
Cxford unlverslLy ress 1987) 298
3
lbld
ii) The amillennial view 'denies that there is any literal Millennium or reign oI
Christ on earth.
4
The number 1000 is seen as a 'metaphorical or symbolic
number with no actual value to it.
5
This symbolic number represents the time
Irom Christ`s Iirst advent until His second advent.
6

iii) The resurrection mentioned in verses 4 and 5 are interpreted as two separate
events. Verse 4 is usually interpreted as spiritual while verse 5 is seen as
physical.
7
The Iirst resurrection is thought to be the 'soul entering heaven aIter
death.
8
The wicked and the righteous will be physically resurrected
simultaneously at the second advent oI Christ.
iv) Since the millennium is synonymous with the Church Age, amillennialists
believe that Satan is currently bound. Christ`s resurrection was a victory,
although symbolic, over Satan and his rule over earth.
9
ThereIore, Satan was
bound the moment Christ deIeated death.
v) According to this view, Christ has been reigning in Heaven since his deIeat oI
Satan at the tomb and his ascension in Acts chapter one. His rule is not a physical
one, as he is not on earth, but a spiritual one in the hearts and lives oI those who
believe in him.
10

4
!ohn l Walvoord 8oy 8 Zuck and uallas 1heologlcal Semlnary 1be 8lble koowleJqe commeototy Ao
xposltloo of tbe 5ctlptotes (WheaLon lL vlcLor 8ooks 1983) 2978
3
Allen C Myers 1be etJmoos 8lble ulctloooty (Crand 8aplds Mlch Lerdmans 1987) 720
6
uavld S uockery 1renL C 8uLler ChrlsLopher L Church eL al nolmoo 8lble nooJbook (nashvllle 1n
Polman 8lble ubllshers 1992) 793
7
WalLer A Llwell and hlllp Wesley ComforL 1yoJole 8lble ulctloooty 1yndale reference llbrary
(WheaLon lll 1yndale Pouse ubllshers 2001) 896
8
MarLln P Manser 2ooJetvoo ulctloooty of 8lble 1bemes 1be Accesslble ooJ comptebeoslve 1ool fot
1oplcol 5toJles (Crand 8aplds Ml ZondervanubllshlngPouse 1999)
9
uockery 8uLler and Church nolmoo 8lble nooJbook 793
10
Walvoord and Zuck 1be 8lble koowleJqe commeototy 2978
vi) The Kingdom oI God is now, according to the amillennialist. The kingdom,
such as it is, 'is heaven`s rule over the church.
11
There will be no literal
kingdom with Christ on earth as a physical ruler.
B. Points of Strength
i) One beneIit oI the amillennialist view is the support it has Irom the early church
Iathers in the 4
th
and 5
th
centuries.
12

C. Points of Weakness
i) The most prevalent weakness oI this view is the necessity oI non-literal
interpretation. When one stops taking scripture literally, it opens up a host oI
problems. How does one know what to assign a symbolic meaning to? Who gets
to make those decisions? This is a serious Ilaw to this view. In Iact, 'some
amillennialists have admitted that iI they took prophetic Scripture at Iace value
they would have to be premillennialists.
13

ii) Another problem is the interpretation oI the two resurrections. There is no
obvious indication that John intended this interpretation. In Iact, the same Greek
word Ior resurrection is used in both verses.

II. Post-millennial View
A. Basic Premises
i) The post-millennial view takes the position that Christ will return aIter the
Millennium. The Millennium itselI will be a long time period where the church

11
Charles Caldwell 8yrle A 5otvey of 8lble uocttloe (Chlcago Moody ress 1993)
12
13
karleen 1be nooJbook to 8lble 5toJy wltb o ColJe to tbe 5coflelJ 5toJy 5ystem 299
will expand and eventually bring peace and prosperity to the earth by preaching the
gospel message and being active in politics, the judicial system, and the military.
14

ii) The post-millennial view can be traced back to Daniel Whitby, a writer in the
17
th
century. Teachers and scholars such as Charles Hodge, A.H. Strong, David
Brown, and more recently, Loraine Boettner Iurthered the view.
15
The view rose
out oI a period oI earth history that was Iilled with great advances in science,
culture, and a generally positive standard oI living.
16

iii) Post-millennialism argues that the millennium is not an actual period oI exactly
1000 years. This view assumes that this time period will be 'a lengthy period oI
expansion and spiritual prosperity brought about by the preaching oI the gospel.
17

The view oI the Millennium is symbolic; it represents the victory oI the Gospel that
will usher in the second coming oI Christ.
iv) Post-millennialists believe that the Christians and non-Christians will be
resurrected aIter the second advent oI Christ.
18
This will be a physical resurrection
oI all the dead Iollowed by the judgment oI all people.
19

v) According to this view, the binding oI Satan is symbolic Ior Christ`s victory
over Satan. This victory is a slow process oI the church pushing back Satan`s
Iorces to usher in this time oI near perIection so that Christ can return.

14
13
16
aul Lnns 1be MooJy nooJbook of 1beoloqy (Chlcago lll Moody ress 1997) 384
17
18
Lnns 1be MooJy nooJbook of 1beoloqy 383
19
8yrle A 5otvey of 8lble uocttloe
vi) The reign oI Christ is basically symbolic. The post-millennialist believes that
Christ will reign spiritually on earth through the work oI the church and the
preaching oI the gospel.
20

vii) The Kingdom oI God on Earth will be ushered in by the triumph oI the church.
One has no way oI knowing iI this kingdom has been established yet. Regardless
oI the duration oI this kingdom or its starting point in history, Christ will not rule
physically on earth. 'II the period is considered in any sense a kingdom, then the
King misses the whole thing!
21

i) One oI the strengths oI this view is the belieI that the church will be victorious
over Satan. Matthew teaches in chapter 16 oI his Gospel that the gates oI Hell
would not prevail against the church. These deIensive gates will surely Iall to the
oIIensive oI the church. This Iact lends itselI to the post-millennialist`s point oI
view.
22

ii) Post-millennialists claim that the progress that we see in the world, both
physically and spiritually, suggests that things are improving. They have a point in
that charitable giving is at an all time high. Disease and slavery are at all time lows
in the history oI the world since the Iall. Most oI these advancements have come
about as the church has impacted society.
23
Most oI the hospitals in the world were

20
21
22
Chad 8rand Charles uraper Archle Lngland eL al nolmoo lllosttoteJ 8lble ulctloooty (nashvllle 1n
Polman 8lble ubllshers 2003) 1127
23
started by the church. It is the same with orphanages. These Iacts are perhaps the
strongest argument Ior the post-millennial view.
i) Perhaps the post-millenialist`s strongest argument is also their weakest. Despite
all the advancements oI mankind, the condition oI the world is in a constant state
oI entropy. Islam has replaced Christianity as the world`s Iastest growing
religion. Since the conception oI this view, there have been numerous wars
including two that were global world wars. While certain parts oI the physical
liIe have improved, 'the world has not progressed spiritually.
24

ii) To make matters worse, the idea oI the world growing increasingly better and
embracing Christianity is not supported scripturally. Revelation 13 teaches that
religion on the earth, in its Iinal Iorm, will be one oI an 'apostate, satanic, and
blasphemous nature.
25

iii) One weakness oI the view is its inIancy. There is no record oI any oI the early
church Iathers holding to this view. The earliest record is aIter the Protestant
ReIormation.
26

III. Pre-millennial View
A. Basic Premises
i) There are two subdivisions oI the pre-millennial view. The historic (non-
dispensational) premillennialism view 'regards the Millennium as a Iurther stage

24
23
lbld 2963
26
in the achievement oI Christ`s kingdom, an interim stage between the church age
and the age to come.
27
This view is not widely held today and only mentioned
here to clariIy the deIinition. The more common view is dispensational
premillennialism. This view 'teaches that the Millennium is not a stage in God`s
single universal redemptive action in Christ, but speciIically a period in which the
OT promises to the nation oI Israel will be IulIilled in strictly literal Iorm.
28
To
clariIy, the premillennialist`s view today teaches that Christ will come to earth
again, deIeat Satan and his Iorces, and rule physically on earth Ior a thousand
years.
29
Premillenialists come this conclusion by reading the 19
th
and 20
th

chapters oI Revelation sequentially.
30

ii) The premillennial view was held by the early Church. 'The Didache (c. A.D.
100), Clement oI Rome (A.D. 96 or 97), the Shepherd of Hermas (A.D. 140150),
Ignatius oI Antioch (A.D. 50115?), Papias (A.D. 80163), Justin Martyr (b. c. A.D.
100), Irenaeus (d. A.D. 200), and Tertullian (A.D. 150225) all held to this basic
understanding oI Revelation chapter 20.
31
They all believed and taught that
Christ could come back at any moment to set up His earthly kingdom.
32

iii) Premillennialists believe that the Millennium is a literal 1000-year period.
Their timeline states that the current Church Age will degrade even Iurther into

27
Wood and Marshall New 8lble ulctloooty 3rd ed 338
28
lbld
29
CranL 8 Csborne kevelotloo 8aker exegeLlcal commenLary on Lhe new 1esLamenL (Crand 8aplds
Mlch 8aker Academlc 2002) 696
30
31
32
apostasy and Iinally peak with the tribulation period. Christ will return at the end
oI the Tribulation and set up his kingdom.
33

iv) This view teaches that the resurrection is a real and literal event. There is
some variance on the timing oI the resurrection depending on a person`s view oI
the timing oI the Rapture and the Tribulation. However, most would agree that
the righteous are physically resurrected beIore the Second Advent and rule with
Christ in the millennium. The wicked are physically resurrected aIter the
millennium Ior the purpose oI judgment and Iinal condemnation.
34

v) Satan is bound aIter the tribulation period and kept in chains Ior the duration oI
the Millennium. This binding is physical and literal. He will be set Iree at the
end oI the Millennium to Iace Christ in one Iinal battle and then be Iorever
imprisoned in the Lake oI Fire.
vi) Premillennialists do not believe that Christ is reigning on earth, now, in the
Church Age. They believe that He will physically reign on earth aIter his second
coming Ior 1000 years.
35
This reign will not end, but transition to another level in
the New Earth and New Jerusalem aIter Satan is repelled and locked away
Iorever.
vii) The premillennialists believe that the kingdom oI God is a real physical
kingdom. It will not be established until Christ`s return ushers in the millennial

33
Charles Caldwell 8yrle A 5otvey of 8lble uocttloe (Chlcago Moody ress 1993)
34
lbld
33
reign. He will set up His kingdom and IulIill the promises made to Abraham,
David, and the Jewish people.
36

i) One obvious strength to the premillennial view is the number oI modern
scholars that hold to the position. Lewis Sperry ChaIer, Charles L. Feinberg, A.C.
Gaebelein, H.A. Ironside, Alva McClain, William Pettingill, Charles C. Ryrie,
C.I. ScoIield, Wilbur Smith, and Merrill F. Unger all hold to the premillennial
view.
37
Likewise, the early church Iathers also held to this view. It seems that
any view or doctrine that had the support oI so many early church Iounders and
still garners so much support two millennia later must have some validity.

ii) Perhaps the most convincing strength Ior this view is simply logic. This view
allows the reader oI Revelation to digest the material literally and sequentially.
None oI the other views allow Ior this type oI interpretation.
38

iii) This view 'places the real triumph oI Christ within history. That is, the victory
that the church believes was accomplished through Christ`s death on the cross
will be made visible to the world and the Iorces oI evil at Christ`s return and reign
on earth.
39
No other interpretation oI Revelation 20 seems to place Christ as the
singular Iocal point oI exaltation during the millennium.

36
8yrle A 5otvey of 8lble uocttloe
37
38
Llwell and ComforL 1yoJole 8lble ulctloooty 1yndale reference llbrary 896
39
lbld
i) One weakness oI the premillennial view is that the details are unclear oI how
Christ and the resurrected church will rule during the millennium. This lack oI
inIormation Iorces some to choose another interpretation.
40

ii) One troublesome spot Ior the premillennialists are the Scriptures that teach that
the righteous and the wicked will be resurrected simultaneously. Daniel 122 and
John 528-29 are two such passages that give this view a hard time.
41

iii) Like the previous point oI weakness, this view also has a hard time with
several oI Christ`s parables. Matthew 1340-43, 49-50, and 2531-32 all seem to
teach that the separation and judgment oI the wicked and righteous would occur
in a singular moment.
42

Conclusion
This writer preIers the premillennial view over the others. A literal, sequential reading oI the
text in chapter 20 seems to be the most reliable. This view does not require any guess work or
tweaking oI the Scripture to mean what one wants it to mean. Walvoord states, 'Events which
precede the thousand years are (a) the second coming oI Christ, (b) the beast and the Ialse
prophet thrown into the Iiery lake, (c) the armies destroyed, (d) Satan bound and locked in the
Abyss, (e) thrones oI judgment introduced, and (I) the martyred dead oI the Tribulation
resurrected. These events revealed in their proper sequence make it clear that the thousand-year
period Iollows all these events, including the second coming oI Christ. The conclusion that the
Second Coming is premillennial is clearly supported by a normal, literal interpretation oI this

40
Llwell and ComforL 1yoJole 8lble ulctloooty 1yndale reference llbrary 896
41
Manser 2ooJetvoo ulctloooty of 8lble 1bemes 1be Accesslble ooJ comptebeoslve 1ool fot 1oplcol
5toJles
42
lbld
text.
43
This writer Iinds great comIort in this. It seems also that this view makes the most sense
in light oI current events and in light oI the past 2000 years oI history. There is no evidence that
Christ is currently ruling or that Satan is currently bound. There is no evidence that the Church
is making any headway towards victory over the powers oI the earth. ThereIore, by the simple
process oI elimination, the premillennial view is the best option.

43
Bibliography
Dockery, David S., Trent C. Butler, Christopher L. Church et al. Holman Bible Handbook.
Nashville, TN Holman Bible Publishers, 1992.

Elwell, Walter A. and Philip Wesley ComIort. Tyndale Bible Dictionary. Tyndale reIerence library.
Wheaton, Ill. Tyndale House Publishers, 2001.

Enns, Paul P. The Moody Handbook of Theology. Chicago, Ill. Moody Press, 1997.

Evans, William and S. Maxwell Coder. The Great Doctrines of the Bible. Enl. ed. Chicago Moody
Press, 1998.

Karleen, Paul S. The Handbook to Bible Study . With a Guide to the Scofield Study System. New
York OxIord University Press, 1987.

Manser, Martin H. Zondervan Dictionary of Bible Themes. The Accessible and Comprehensive Tool
for Topical Studies. Grand Rapids, MI Zondervan Publishing House, 1999.

Myers, Allen C. The Eerdmans Bible Dictionary. Grand Rapids, Mich. Eerdmans, 1987.

Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. Baker exegetical commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids,
Mich. Baker Academic, 2002.

Ryrie, Charles Caldwell. A Survey of Bible Doctrine. Chicago Moody Press, 1995.

Walvoord, John F., Roy B. Zuck and Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge
Commentary . An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL Victor Books, 1983-.

Wiersbe, Warren W. The Bible Exposition Commentary. Wheaton, Ill. Victor Books, 1996.

Wood, D. R. W. and I. Howard Marshall. New Bible Dictionary. 3rd ed. Leicester, England;
Downers Grove, Ill. InterVarsity Press, 1996.

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LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

CONTRASTING VIEWS OF THE MILLENNIUM

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