Amillennialism
The Millennium • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Summary
Summary
Contrary to what the name implies, amillennialists believe in a millennium. Realized Millennialism has been put forth by some as a more accurate title for the position.
Amillennialists do not understand Revelation 20:1-6 to teach that there will be a literal and future one thousand year millennial reign of Christ on earth. They believe that the millennium speaks to Christ’s present reign and is displayed through the ministry of the gospel and the nations coming to salvation.
The millennium at the first coming of Christ and will end just before His second coming.
Satan has been restrained through the death and resurrection of Christ in AD 30.
Amillennialists understand Scripture to teach that all the major events yet to come before the eternal state (the return of Christ, resurrection of believers and unbelievers, the final judgement) will happen all at once.
Wayne Grudem, in his Systematic Theology comments in a foot note that since amillennialists believe Rev. 20:1-6 applies to the present age, they sometimes say that premillennialists are waiting for the millennium, postmillennialists are working for the millennium and amillennialists are enjoying the millennium.
panmillennialists believe that it will all pan out in the end.
Distinctives
Distinctives
Interpretation of the book of Revelation
Interpretation of the book of Revelation
Progressive Parallelism
Progressive Parallelism
According to this view, the book of Revelation consists of seven sections which run parallel to each other, each of which depicts the church and the world from the time of Christ’s first coming to the time of his second.
Section 1: Chapters 1-3 - These chapters focus on the glorified Christ and the letters to the seven churches. This section references events, people and places of the time when the book was written, but the principles, commendations and warnings contained in these letters have value for the church of all time.
These two observations, in fact, provide a clue for the interpretation of the entire book. Since the book of Revelation was addressed to the church of the first century A.D., its message had reference to events occurring at that time and was therefore meaningful for the Christians of that day. But since the book was also intended for the church through the ages, its message is still relevant for us today.
Section 2 - Chapters 4-7: John is caught up to heaven and sees God sitting on his radiant throne. He then sees the Lamb that had been slain taking the scroll sealed with seven seals from the hand of the one who was sitting on the throne. The various seals are broken, and various divine judgments on the world are described. In this vision we see the church suffering trial and persecution against the background of the victory of Christ.
Section 3 - Chapters 8-11: describes the seven trumpets of judgment. In this vision we see the church avenged, protected and victorious.
Section 4 - Chapters 12-14: begins with the vision of the woman giving birth to a son while the dragon waits to devour him as soon as he is born—an obvious reference to the birth of Christ. The opposition of the Dragon (who stands for Satan) against the church is described, and this section also introduces us to the two beasts who are the dragon’s helpers: the beast out of the sea and the beast out of the earth.
Section 5 - Chapters 15-16: Describes the seven bowls of wrath, thus depicting in a very graphic way the final visitation of God’s wrath on those who remain impenitent.
Section 6 - Chapters 17-19: Describes the fall of Babylon and of the beasts.
Babylon stands for the worldly city — the forces of secularism and godlessness which are in opposition to the kingdom of God. The end of chapter 19 depicts the fall and final punishment of the dragon’s two helpers: the beast out of the sea, and the false prophet, who appears to be identified with the beast out of the earth (see 16:13).
Section 7 - Chapters 20-22: Describes the doom of the Dragon and all the enemies of Christ, the final judgement, the final triumph of Christ and His church, the renewed universe which is called the new heavens and the new earth.
Parallel & Progress
Parallel & Progress
Though these seven sections are parallel to each other, they also reveal a certain amount of eschatological progress.
The last section, for example, takes us further into the future than the other sections. Although the final judgment has already been announced in 1:7 and has been briefly described in 6:12-17, it is not set forth in full detail until we come to 20:11-15. Though the final joy of the redeemed in the life to come has been hinted at in 7:15-17, it is not until we reach chapter 21 that we find a detailed and elaborate description of the blessedness of life on the new earth (21:1-22:5). Hence this method of interpretation is called progressive parallelism.
If we grant that the book of Revelation depicts the struggle between Christ and his church on the one hand and the enemies of Christ and the church on the other, we may say that the first half of the book (chapters 1-11) describes the struggle on earth, picturing the church as it is persecuted by the world. The second half of the book, however (chapters 12-22), gives us the deeper spiritual background of this struggle, describing the persecution of the church by the dragon (Satan) and his helpers. In the light of this analysis we see how the last section of the book (chapters 20-22) falls into place.
Interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6
Interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6
We are now ready to proceed to the interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6, the only passage in the Bible which speaks explicitly of a thousand-year reign.
Two Sections
Two Sections
Verses 1-3 describe the binding of Satan.
Verses 4-6 describe the thousand-year reign of souls with Christ.
Revelation 20 does not describe what follows chronologically after what us described in chapter 19.
Revelation 20 does not describe what follows chronologically after what us described in chapter 19.
Rev. 20:1 takes us back to the beginning of the NT era. This is consistent with the amillennialists’ approach to interpreting the book of Revelation.
This chapter describes the final defeat of Satan, and the defeat of Satan began with the first coming of Christ which was spelled out in Rev. 12:7-9.
7 Now war arose in heaven, Michael and his angels fighting against the dragon. And the dragon and his angels fought back, 8 but he was defeated, and there was no longer any place for them in heaven. 9 And the great dragon was thrown down, that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world—he was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.
The millennial reign described in verses 4-6 occurs before the Second Coming of Christ.
The final judgment, described in verses 11-15 of this chapter, is pictured as coming after the thousand-year reign.
11 Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. 13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
This order of events (the final judgement coming after the millennial reign of Christ) is seen elsewhere in the New Testament (Rev. 22:12; Matt 16:27; 25:31-32; Jude 14-15; 2 Thess. 1:7-10).
7 and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might, 10 when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints, and to be marveled at among all who have believed, because our testimony to you was believed.
The binding of Satan mentioned in Rev. 20:2 occured at Christ’s first coming. (1-3)
The binding of Satan mentioned in Rev. 20:2 occured at Christ’s first coming. (1-3)
The dragon is said to be bound for a thousand years and then cast into a place called “the Abyss.” The purpose of this binding is “to keep him from deceiving the nations any more until the thousand years were ended.”
Since verses 7-15 of this very chapter describe Satan’s “little season,” the final battle and the final judgment, we may conclude that this thousand-year period extends from Christ’s first coming to just before his Second Coming.
The lake of fire mentioned in verses 10, 14 & 15, which is the place of final punishment, is different than the abyss mentioned in verses 1 & 3. The abyss should be thought of as a figurative description of how Satan’s activities will be curbed during the millennial reign of Christ.
In Old Testament times, at least in the post-Abrahamic era, all the nations of the world except Israel were, so to speak, under Satan’s rule, but since the coming of Christ he was bound from this level of deceit of anyone.
At that time the people of Israel were the recipients of God’s special revelation, so that they knew God’s truth about themselves, about their sinfulness, and about the way they could obtain forgiveness and salvation. During this same time, however, the other nations of the world did not know that truth, and were therefore in ignorance and error (see Acts 17:30) — except for an occasional person, family or city which came into contact with God’s special revelation. One could say that during this time these nations were deceived by Satan, as our first parents had been deceived by Satan when they fell into sin in the Garden of Eden.
Just before his ascension, however, Christ gave his disciples his Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19, NIV). At this point one can well imagine the disciples raising a disturbing question: How can we possibly do this if Satan continues to deceive the nations the way he has in the past? In Revelation 20:1-3 John gives a reassuring answer to this question. Paraphrased, his answer goes something like this: “During the gospel era which has now been ushered in, Satan will not be able to continue deceiving the nations the way he did in the past, for he has been bound. During this entire period, therefore, you, Christ’s disciples, will be able to preach the gospel and make disciples of all nations.”
Later in the chapter we are told that when the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations of the world to gather them together to fight against and, if possible, to destroy the people of God (verses 7-9). This, however, he cannot do while he is bound. We conclude, then, that the binding of Satan during the gospel age means that, first, he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel, and second, he cannot gather all the enemies of Christ together to attack the church.
That Satan was bound at the time of Christ’s first coming is attested to in the New Testament. (Matt 12:22-29)
22 Then a demon-oppressed man who was blind and mute was brought to him, and he healed him, so that the man spoke and saw. 23 And all the people were amazed, and said, “Can this be the Son of David?” 24 But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, “It is only by Beelzebul, the prince of demons, that this man casts out demons.” 25 Knowing their thoughts, he said to them, “Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and no city or house divided against itself will stand. 26 And if Satan casts out Satan, he is divided against himself. How then will his kingdom stand? 27 And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? Therefore they will be your judges. 28 But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. 29 Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.
When the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus replied in v. 29.
the word used by Matthew to describe the binding of the strong man is the same word used in Revelation 20 to describe the binding of Satan.
One could say that Jesus bound the devil when he triumphed over him in the wilderness, refusing to give in to his temptations. Jesus’ casting out of demons, so he teaches us in this passage, was evidence of this triumph.
the casting out of demons is an evidence of the presence of the kingdom of God (Mt. 12:28) and that it is precisely because the kingdom of God has come that the gospel can now be preached to all the nations (see Mt. 13:24-30, 47-50).
We see then that the binding of Satan described in Revelation 20:1-3 means that throughout the gospel age in which we now live the influence of Satan, though certainly not annihilated, is so curtailed that he cannot prevent the spread of the gospel to the nations of the world. Because of the binding of Satan during this present age, the nations cannot conquer the church, but the church is conquering the nations.
Amillennialists believe that verses 1-3 and verses 4-6 concern the same “thousand-year” period. That period, as we saw, spans the entire New Testament dispensation, from the time of the first coming of Christ to just before the time of Christ’s Second Coming.
Those seated on the thrones are all Christians who had remained true to Christ until their death. (4)
Those seated on the thrones are all Christians who had remained true to Christ until their death. (4)
The thrones are located in heaven.
“the souls of those who had been beheaded,” that the locale of John’s vision has now shifted to heaven.
Verses 1-3 describe what happens on earth during this time and verses 4-6 depict what happens in heaven.
John sees those who had been given authority to judge. John’s description of them as “sitting on thrones” is a concrete way of expressing the thought that they are reigning with Christ (see the last part of v. 4).
Those who remained faithful to Christ until their death include martyrs but not only martyrs.
Since John tells us that he saw “the souls of those who had been beheaded,” it is quite clear that he is not talking about people who are still living on the earth.
When John wrote Revelation, many Christians were being martyred for their faith. Needless to say, the vision here recorded would bring great comfort to the relatives and friends of these martyrs: John sees their souls as now sitting on thrones in heaven, taking part in the work of judging.
It seems best to translate the second half of verse 4 as referring to another group of people in addition to the martyrs in the first half. The ESV captures this by saying, and those who had not worshipped the beast…
Earlier in the book unbelieving opponents of Christ and his kingdom were described as those who worship the beast or his image and who receive the mark of the beast on their foreheads or on their hands (see 13:8, 15-17; 14:9-11). Conversely, believers who remained faithful to their Lord are described as those who were victorious over the beast (15:2) or who did not worship the beast or his image (13:15).
The common denominator of all those on the throne is that they died, did not worship the beast or its image or its mark on their foreheads or hands. In other words, those who occupy the throne are those who remained faithful to Christ until they died. Some of them were killed because they remained faithful to Christ in the face of persecution.
The resurrection referenced at the end of verse four is a spiritual not physical resurrection (4-5)
The resurrection referenced at the end of verse four is a spiritual not physical resurrection (4-5)
We know John is referring to a resurrection in verse four because of the connection it has to verse five: the rest of the dead did not come to life until until the thousand years were ended.
The Scriptures teach elsewhere that there will be only one bodily resurrection, which will include both believers and unbelievers (see John 5:282-9; Acts 24:15)
28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
15 having a hope in God, which these men themselves accept, that there will be a resurrection of both the just and the unjust.
Those who came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years (end of verse 4) are those seated on the throne (beginning of verse 4). John sees these believers as alive in that they are enjoying life in heaven in fellowship with Christ. (see Rev. 3:21)
21 The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.
This living and reigning with Christ, John goes on to say, shall continue throughout the thousand years — that is, throughout the entire gospel era, until Christ shall come again to raise the bodies of these believers from the grave.
The thousand-year reign of Revelation 20:4 is a reign with Christ in heaven of the souls of believers who have died. This reign is not something to be looked for in the future; it is going on now, and will be until Christ returns. Hence the term realized millennialism is an apt description of the view here defended — if it be remembered that the millennium in question is not an earthly but a heavenly one.
The unbelieving dead (verse 5), he is saying, did not live or reign with Christ during this thousand-year period. Whereas believers after death enjoy a new kind of life in heaven with Christ in which they share in Christ’s reign, unbelievers after death share nothing of either this life or this reign.
Now John goes on to say, “This is the first resurrection.” These words depict what has happened to the believing dead whom John was describing at the end of verse 4, previous to the parenthetical statement of verse 5. Again, we must understand these words as describing not a bodily resurrection but rather the transition from physical death to life in heaven with Christ. This transition is here called a “resurrection” — an unusual use of the word, to be sure, but perfectly understandable against the background of the preceding context. The expression “the first resurrection” implies that there will indeed be a “second resurrection” for these believing dead — the resurrection of the body which will take place when Christ returns at the end of the thousand-year period.
There is only one physical resurrection (6)
There is only one physical resurrection (6)
The second death is a reference to eternal punishment (see v. 14). These words about the second death imply that the “first resurrection” which John has just mentioned is not a bodily resurrection. For if believers should here be thought of as having been physically raised, with glorified bodies, they would already be enjoying the full and total bliss of the life to come, and it would not need to be said that over them the second death has no power.
During this entire thousand-year period, therefore, the believing dead shall worship God and Christ as priests and shall reign with Christ as kings. (6b)
Premillennial Response
Premillennial Response
Interpretation of the book of Revelation
Interpretation of the book of Revelation
Preterist
In short, preterism (from Latin = past) teaches that the Bible’s prophecies have already happened. The destruction of Jerusalem in AD 70 fulfilled the prophecy of Christ’s coming in judgement, the kingdom of God has arrived, the Great Commission has been fulfilled and the old heaven and earth have passed away and the new heaven and new earth have come.
In the preterist view, imperial Rome was the beast of chapter 13, and the Asian priesthood promoting the worship of Rome was the false prophet.
The church was threatened with practical extinction in the face of impending persecution, and John wrote to confirm the faith of believers that even though terrible persecution was at the door, God would intervene, Christ would return, Rome would be destroyed and the Kingdom of God shortly established.
Futurist (dispensationalism)
This method interprets Revelation largely as a prophecy of future events depicted in symbolic terms which lead up to and accompany the end of the world.
The seven letters of Revelation are seen as seven successive ages of church history symbolically portrayed. The character of the seven churches depicts the chief characteristics of the seven periods of church history.
The rapture of John in chapters 4-5 symbolize the rapture of the church at the end of the age.
Chapters 6–18 depict the period of the great tribulation—the last short but terrible period of church history when the Antichrist will all but destroy God’s people.
God’s people are Israel, restored to Jerusalem, protected by a divine sealing (7:1–8), with a rebuilt temple (11:1-3) and who suffer the wrath of the Antichrist.
The church is no longer on earth since it has been caught up to be with the Lord in the air.
Similar but Different
Similar but Different
Revelation contains imagery and symbolism. Numbers are often not to be taken literally.
The reign of Christ began at His first coming. He did save His people from their sins. He did conquer sin and death. He did deal Satan the fatal blow prophesied in Genesis 3:15.
The reign of Christ has been realized, more accurately has been inaugurated.
The reign of Christ will culminate at His return at which point He will establish an earthly reign which is described in Revelation 20:1-6.
Interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6
Interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6
Premillennial Summary
Premillennial Summary
Premillennialism is the view that Rev. 20 is altogether eschatological. The coming of Christ will be followed by a binding of Satan and the resurrection of the saints who will join him in a temporal kingdom when he reigns over the earth. This millennial kingdom will end with a final rebellion and the last judgment.
While the length of the millennial kingdom may not be a literal one thousand years, it is yet to occur.
A key difference between the amillennial approach to this passage and the premillennial approach centers on recapitulation. Both agree that recapitulation is present in the book, but the premillennial understanding sees no exegetical justification for recapitulation in Rev. 20.
The binding of Satan
The binding of Satan
The binding of Satan referenced in Rev. 20 is different from the binding of Satan accomplished by Christ in His earthly ministry.
In Matt 12:28-29, Satan’s binding was connected to demon exorcism by which individuals were delivered from satanic bondage.
The binding of Satan in Rev. 20, immobilizes him from deceiving the nations.
It should be noted that the idea of the deception of the nations reappears after Satan is loosed (20:8); he gathers the nations again in a further revolt against the Messiah, like the revolt which has already occurred under Antichrist (13:14; 16:14).
A Commentary on the Revelation of John (4) The Binding of Satan, the Resurrection, and the Millennial Kingdom (20:1–6)
After the divine purpose in Christ’s millennial reign is accomplished, Satan must be loosed and go about again to deceive the nations. These words are difficult to understand if they are applied to our Lord’s binding of Satan in his earthly ministry. The victory he won over Satan was won once and for all. Satan will never be loosed from bondage to Christ won by his death and resurrection.
The Thrones
The Thrones
Those who were on the thrones were those who had been faithful to Christ until their death and who had been resurrected from the dead.
The premillennial view of the identity of those on the thrones agrees with the amillennial view that it is not just martyrs, but all who remained true to Christ until their death. The premillennial view however understands the occupants of the throne to be physically risen from the dead.
The came to life means physical resurrection (end of verse 4)
It is true that this word can mean entrance into spiritual life (John 5:25)
25 “Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live.
But nowhere is this word used to describe a spiritual resurrection of the souls of the righteous after death.
The word is used for bodily resurrection. (John 11:25; Rom. 14:9; Rev. 1:18; 2:8; 13:14 AND Rev. 20:5)
The problem with understsnding they came to life to refer to a spiritual resurrection and not a physical resurrection is that the same word in the same context would have to mean two entirely different meanings with no apparent indication as to the change of meaning.
This passage (John 5:25-29) does not provide a true analogy to the passage in the Apocalypse. There is this all-important difference. In the gospel, the context itself provides the clues for the spiritual interpretation in the one instance and the literal in the other. Concerning the first group who are to “live,” the hour has already come. This makes it clear that the reference is to those who are spiritually dead and who enter into life upon hearing the voice of the Son of God.
The second group, however, are “in the tombs,” i.e., they are not the spiritually dead but the physically dead. Such dead are to be brought back to life again. Part of them will experience a “resurrection of life,” i.e., a bodily resurrection which will lead them to the full experience of the spiritual life that is already theirs. The rest will be revived to a “resurrection of condemnation,” i.e., to the execution of the decree of divine judgment which rests upon them already because they have rejected the Son of God and the life he came to bring (John 3:18, 36).
In sum, the beginning of the millennial period, part of the dead (the righteous dead) come to life. There is no evident play upon words. The passage makes good sense when interpreted literally. The greek word used to refer to coming to life and resurrection mean the same thing in the same context: physical resurrection.
