Nonliteral views of the Millennium.

Theologically, the word millennium refers to the age spoken of in Revelation 20 during which believers will reign with Christ for 1000 years.

There are three fundamental views of the millennium…

1. Premillennialism teaches that, when Christ returns, He will establish His kingdom and will reign with His saints for 1000 years before the final judgment and the beginning of the eternal kingdom. (There are two flavors of Premillennialism… Historic Premillennialism and Dispensationalism.)
2. Amillennialism teaches that there will not be a literal millennium, but that the millennium refers to the present reign of Christ over His church, and in the hearts of His saints.
3. Postmillennialism teaches that the Church, through the gospel and the ministry of the Holy Spirit, will exert a sanctifying influence upon the world which will result in a worldwide revival and a "golden age" upon the earth. This "golden age" is the millennium. (A variation of this view, known as Theonomy or Dominion Theology, teaches that Christ has commissioned His church to exercise political influence to bring society under God's Law.)

The allegorical approach upon which Amillennialism and Postmillennialism are based was probably borrowed from certain liberal sects of Judaism. Amillennialism and Postmillennialism may have emerged in response to the disappointment felt by some early Christians when it became clear that Christ would not return as soon as they had expected. Moreover, there arose a popular view that the Church had replaced national Israel as heir of God's promises, and this did not fit well with a literal hermeneutic. It is not surprising, given these factors, that Christians should have concluded that the church was the promised kingdom.

In His teaching about the kingdom, our Lord stressed the spiritual character of the kingdom. Some have mistakenly assumed that this is the sum total of Christ's kingdom, and have concluded that the promises of an earthly kingdom must therefore have a nonliteral fulfillment.

It is a tribute to their unshakable confidence in the clarity of God's promises that early Dispensationalists, such as Darby and Scofield, taught the future restoration of national Israel at a time when such a restoration seemed impossible. Hitler's persecution of the Jews evoked enough public outrage and sympathy that the Jewish nation was finally re-established in its ancient homeland in 1948. Humanly speaking, it ought to be much easier today to accept literalism (and Premillennialism) than it was in the days of Scofield and Darby.

The Scriptural identity of the Millennium.

The only passage of Scripture which explicitly speaks of the millennial kingdom is Revelation 20…

Revelation 20:1-15 – ¹Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. ²And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; ³and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. ⁴Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. ⁵The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. ⁶Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. ⁷When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, ⁸and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. ⁹And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. ¹⁰And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. ¹¹Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat upon it, from whose presence earth and heaven fled away, and no place was found for them. ¹²And I saw the dead, the great and the small, standing before the throne, and books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from the things which were written in the books, according to their deeds. ¹³And the sea gave up the dead which were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead which were in them; and they were judged, every one of them according to their deeds. ¹⁴Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. ¹⁵And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The other millennial views avoid this conclusion by interpreting Revelation in a much less literal fashion…

Preterism supposes that the events described in Revelation occurred shortly after the book of Revelation was written, when the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Jewish temple in 70 AD. Under some Preterist schemes, chapter 19 is not the return of Christ to earth, but His judgment of the Jewish nation via the Roman armies in 70 AD, which thereby allegedly confirmed the Church as the undisputed "Kingdom of God".

Comprehensivism supposes that Revelation describes the entire Christian era in a collection of parallel allegories. The return of Christ in chapter 19 supposedly ends one such account, while chapter 20 starts a new account of the Church age, describing it as a 1000 year reign of Christ which ends with the final judgment.

Amillennialism says that ch. 20 allegorically describes the Church during the present age (where the "1000 years" cannot be literal, since nearly 2000 years have already passed). Postmillennialism, on the other hand, regards the millennium as a "golden age" ushered in by the church, which could be a literal 1000 years in duration, although Postmillennialists seldom seem concerned whether the millennium will last a literal 1000 years.

But this is not the only weakness in these nonliteral positions. The saints are said to reign with Christ during the 1000 years. This certainly has not been literally true of the church during the present age. Moreover, those who reign (present tense) with Christ during the 1000 years are said to have been "beheaded for the testimony of Jesus"(Rev 20:4). Yet, which of the saints living on the earth during the church age were previously beheaded for their testimony of Jesus?

Perhaps this means instead that martyred saints are currently reigning in heaven during the current (1000 year) church age. If so, then in what special sense they are reigning now (during the "1000 years") which was not true of martyred saints in the Old Testament, or which will not be true of saints in the future eternal kingdom? What would be the significance of martyred saints reigning in heaven during the present age?

Another difficulty with Postmillennialism is the long period of time (at least 1900 years) between Christ's resurrection and the beginning of the millennium. Revelation 19-20 is silent concerning such a delay. Postmillennialists are also unclear about what events would mark the beginning of the millennium. In many accounts, it seems that the millennial kingdom grows gradually, at times imperceptibly, throughout the present age. Such a view is little different from Amillennialism.

In short, the things which Scripture ascribes to the 1000 years fits neither the present "church age", nor a future "golden age" within the present church age.

2 Peter 3:8 is sometimes cited to "prove" that 1000 years does not require a literal interpretation…

2 Peter 3:8 – But do not let this one fact escape your notice, beloved, that with the Lord one day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years like one day.

The Millennium is a Prologue to the Eternal Kingdom.

Let there be no doubt… it is the eternal kingdom, not merely the millennium, which is the earnest hope of the saints. The millennial kingdom is but a prelude, a shadow, a foretaste of the eternal kingdom.

Even so, the millennium will be a welcome relief from the dominion of wickedness and affliction. The millennium will have much in common with the eternal kingdom… Christ will visibly reign over all the earth from Jerusalem, enforcing justice and legal morality. Also, much of nature will be restored to its original Edenic state. Death, sickness and injury will be largely unknown.

But the transformation will not yet be complete. A number of passages in God's Word foretell a glorious kingdom where disobedience, judgment and death, though uncommon, are still present. These passages serve as further evidence that there will be a literal millennium.

Nations which neglect to worship the Lord will experience judgment…

Zechariah 14:17-19 – ¹⁷And it will be that whichever of the families of the earth does not go up to Jerusalem to worship the King, the LORD of hosts, there will be no rain on them. ¹⁸If the family of Egypt does not go up or enter, then no rain will fall on them; it will be the plague with which the LORD smites the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths. ¹⁹This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

Isaiah 65:20 – "No longer will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, Or an old man who does not live out his days; For the youth will die at the age of one hundred And the one who does not reach the age of one hundred will be thought accursed.

Revelation 20:7-8 – ⁷When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, ⁸and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore.

Why will God seemingly delay the eternal kingdom 1000 years? Why will He allow sinners to live in His kingdom for 1000 years? Why will He allow Satan to instigate yet another rebellion?

To prove man's native depravity.

It would seem that one important reason is to prove, once and for all, that man is evil at heart, and is not merely a product of his environment.

Liberals, Arminians and Atheists alike believe, to one degree or another, that man has a spark of good within his heart, and that if this good were properly nurtured, he would follow the good and grow in goodness and righteousness. The millennial kingdom will be the great testing ground to disprove this theory once and for all. Nothing short of regeneration will make man good.

The Bible teaches that we are led astray by Satan, the world and the flesh. The millennial kingdom will remove the influence of Satan and the world, and only the flesh will remain. Moreover, there will be many positive influences in the millennium, for "the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD As the waters cover the sea." (Isaiah 11:9 and Habakkuk 2:14). Everyone will have heard the gospel in the millennium… there will be no excuse for unbelief or disobedience. Yet, at the end of the 1000 years, Satan will be released to deceive the nations once more… and many will follow.

To make the Jews a blessing to the nations.

God promised Abraham that all the families of the earth would be blessed through him…

Genesis 12:2-3 – ²And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; ³And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed."

Galatians 3:7-9 – ⁷Therefore, be sure that it is those who are of faith who are sons of Abraham.⁸The Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, "ALL THE NATIONS WILL BE BLESSED IN YOU." ⁹So then those who are of faith are blessed with Abraham, the believer.

Romans 11:12 – Now if their transgression is riches for the world and their failure is riches for the Gentiles, how much more will their fulfillment be!

Zechariah 8:23 – "Thus says the LORD of hosts, 'In those days ten men from all the nations will grasp the garment of a Jew, saying, "Let us go with you, for we have heard that God is with you."'"

To carry out His purpose in an orderly, progressive way.

The question "Why will there be a millennium?" is much like asking why God allowed Adam to sin, or why He waited thousands of years before He sent His Son to die on the cross for sinners. It also like asking why He allows us to continue living in this evil world, in our feeble, decaying bodies, and with sin still very much present in our hearts.

God has willed that many such things should progress in a sequence… sometimes gradually and imperceptibly, sometimes by marvelous, miraculous events. He does not always reveal to us why He has chosen to work slowly in some cases, and quickly in others.

We do know that God's ultimate purpose throughout history is to glorify Himself. When He seems to move slowly, it is because that will bring Him greater ultimate glory than if He moved quickly. Conversely, when He moves quickly, it is because that is what brings Him the greater glory.

When God finally establishes His eternal kingdom, these few thousand years of sinful history will be but a memory, and will seem to have been but a moment. Human history will stand as a monument to the fact that, left to ourselves, we are utterly lost and helpless, and that God can do in an instant what we could not do in hundreds or thousands of years.

Had God fulfilled all His promises in a short period of time, we might not have realized how sin can grow and become increasingly destructive when it goes unchecked. We also might not have realized how utterly incapable we are of saving ourselves from sin and from its destructive consequences.

There is a pattern in Scripture that God will allow trouble or sin to go unchecked for a long time before He finally steps in to swiftly resolve the problem. This accentuates both our wretchedness and His greatness.

The course of history serves as a witness, or object-lesson to God's creatures, that apart from God, we will always fail, but that God is constantly able to resolve the most difficult problem. Redemptive history is a progression of such object-lessons, each building upon the earlier ones. God is not yet finished with these lessons, and will have a few more to teach us even after Christ returns to set up His kingdom on earth.

For example, God sent the flood to demonstrate that mankind needed a new start. The world after the flood typified the New Heavens and New Earth which God will someday create. But the flood also demonstrated that eliminating the wicked from the earth was not enough… sin still existed in the hearts of Noah and his family members, and soon spread once again into the post-flood world.

Egypt was undoubtedly the most powerful nation on earth when they held the Jews captive. In a sequence of events which foreshadowed the return of Christ to destroy the Antichrist and his armies, God sent Moses to deliver the people of Egypt by means of ten miraculous plagues followed by the final destruction of the Egyptian army in the Red Sea.

This also marked a new start for the people of God, and this time, God gave them His law to teach them how to order their lives and their society. Even more importantly, the Law was intended to show them their own sinfulness and their need of a savior. The sacrificial system and the priesthood were central to the law, depicting our Lord's sacrificial work at Calvary. But all these advantages proved insufficient to keep them from turning to sin and idolatry. Even so, it was a major advance over what had been revealed before.

With the coming of Christ, and His death on the cross, we see the reality which was foreshadowed in the Mosaic priesthood and sacrifices. We now understand clearly what the thrice-holy God had to do in order to show mercy to hell-deserving sinners. Moreover, our Lord ascended into heaven and sent us the Holy Spirit to empower, comfort and encourage us to love the Lord and to lead godly lives. Yet, sin is still present in our hearts as well as in the world around us.

Even with all the benefits of knowing about Christ and His sacrificial work, and even with the indwelling Spirit, we still often give in to temptation. Yet we have the assurance that our salvation does not depend upon our own strength, works or faith, but upon the sacrifice of Christ alone. And God's faithfulness to us assures us that He will preserve our faith and bring forth good works in our lives (Ephesians 2:8-10). But we possess this treasure in weak, "earthen" vessels that we might continue to look to God in faith and hope, that He might receive the glory…

2 Corinthians 4:7 – But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves;

Romans 8:23-25 – ²³And not only this, but also we ourselves, having the first fruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting eagerly for our adoption as sons, the redemption of our body. ²⁴For in hope we have been saved, but hope that is seen is not hope; for who hopes for what he already sees? ²⁵But if we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.

It will provide a contrast between corruption and incorruption.

A contrast of heart.

Throughout human history, the elect have lived in the midst of the unbelieving world, and the Spirit's regenerating work has been evident in their words and actions. The great contrast between the spiritual life of believers and the spiritual death of unbelievers has always been a witness to the power and glory of God.

However, this witness has often been tarnished by the continuing presence of sin within believers. Again, we are reminded of the Spirit's power at Pentecost, giving the disciples a boldness in evangelism and a sacrificial love for their brothers in Christ. If the saints had the Spirit's Pentecostal fullness on a continual basis, think what a testimony this would provide to the world! Pentecost foreshadowed the Spirit's power which will be manifest in Christ's kingdom…

Hebrews 6:5 – and have tasted the good word of God and the powers of the age to come,

A contrast of government and society.

There are two things we do know for sure about the Millennium… our Lord will rule with righteousness over the whole earth, and there will still be sin. These facts are brought out in the 14th chapter of Zechariah…

Zechariah 14:9 – And the LORD will be king over all the earth; in that day the LORD will be the only one, and His name the only one.

Zechariah 14:19 – This will be the punishment of Egypt, and the punishment of all the nations who do not go up to celebrate the Feast of Booths.

Yet, even in the millennium, there will be times when a country like Egypt will refuse to come to our Lord's appointed feasts, and will come under judgment. In the past, the contrast between righteous and unrighteous government was a contrast between weakly righteous and grossly unrighteous government. During much of the millennium, the contrast will be between perfectly righteous government and moderately unrighteous government. Our Lord will deal strictly with overt disobedience, and even sins of the heart will come under judgment. At the end of the millennium, when Satan is released, men will rebel against Christ in one final outbreak of disobedience, and this will provide the greatest and final earthly contrast between good and evil.

A contrast of glory.

When Christ returns, we shall receive glorified bodies…

1 John 3:2 – Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is.

Does this seem surprising? At the transfiguration and after His resurrection, our Lord appeared to His disciples in His glorified body. The disciples were allowed to witness the stark contrast between His glorified body and their own weak, aging bodies. This is but one of the ways in which the old and the new will exist side by side in the millennial kingdom.