Rev – Part 3

The millennial kingdom

Leader’s note: Parts 1 and 2 of the present survey of the book of Revelation concluded that Revelation consists of 7 (metaphorical) descriptions of the time between the ascension and future return of Christ. All 7 pictures are structured like a song, where each ‘stanza’ is followed by a bridge and a chorus with recurring themes. The order in the structuring of this book serves a purpose. E.g., 6 of the 7 “seal” metaphors in the second stanza (Rev 6:1-8:1) follow the very same order as the end time prophecies in Mt 24 and Lk 21. This striking parallelism therefore is well suited to explain to John’s readers who are the 144’000 from the “tribes of Israel” in Rev 7:1-8 (cf Mt 24:31). That they symbolically represent the sum of all the elect is then further confirmed independently by John’s description that they are the ones sealed by the Holy Spirit, Rev 7:3 (cf Eph 1:13).
Part 3 now zooms on the question of what the book of Revelation means by a “millennial kingdom”, Rev 20:4-6: Does the Bible predict that Jesus one day will physically return before (“premillennialism“) or after (“postmillennialism“) a golden age of 1000 years on planet earth? Or is Rev 20 entirely about a spiritual kingdom – a metaphor for the present reign of Christ from heaven? The preceding study (part 2) examined how each ‘stanza’ always ends by drawing attention to a voice, which is then always followed by a glimpse into events in heaven before a concluding ‘chorus’ about the final judgment. The last of these seven glimpses into heaven describes the millennial kingdom. After the readers have been directed to raise their eyes toward heaven 6 times, it would be odd if the 7th instance would suddenly deviate from this pattern to instead direct our attention to rulers on earth. The present study explores this further by directly examining the only text that mentions the 1000 years.

Warm-up: If you could freely choose the form of government for your ideal country to live in, what would you choose, and why?

1) Read Rev 20:1-8. How many times are 1000 years mentioned?

  • v2 [Dragon (Satan) bound for 1000 years]
  • v4 [Saints of “the first resurrection” reign with Christ for 1000 years]
  • v7 [Satan released to gather Gog & Magog after 1000 years]

2) Mainly 3 interpretations over the centuries have found some acceptance:

  • Premillennial (dispensational) view:  Messiah will physically return to this earth before a golden age of peace that will then last literally 1000 years, but where people still die, and Satan will be let loose again at the end.
  • Postmillennial view: Holds that Christ will physically return to end history with a final judgment after an era of symbolic ‘1000 years’ during which the influence of the gospel will restrain evil and promote the transformation of mankind for the better.
  • So-called Amillennialism is similar to Postmillenialism in that it takes the 1000 years as symbolic for the present age where Christ rules over the nations from heaven until his return when he will establish a new earth and new heavens that will last forever and where death exists no more. However, it does not share the optimism of Postmillennialism that the preaching of the gospel will eventually save everyone. E.g. the 2nd Helvetic Confession (1566), expressing the amillennial conviction of the leading Reformers, stated:  …We further condemn Jewish dreams that there will be a golden age on earth before the Day of Judgment, and that the pious, having subdued all their godless enemies, will possess all the kingdoms of the earth. For evangelical truth in Matthew  24 and 25, and Luke 18, and apostolic teaching in 2Thes 2, and 2Tim 3 and 4, present something quite different (Reformed Confessions of the 16th Century, ed. Arthur C. Cochrane, Westminster Press, 1966, chap. 11) 

=> What do you find problematic about any of these views? =>

3) v2: Satan does not seem to be bound, let alone impotent: Does this refute the amillennial view? Why or why not?

  • v3: What does the binding of Satan consist of? Does it mean Satan cannot move a finger anymore?
    • Hint: Is Satan’s power to deceive unlimited? cf Gen 3:13 Did Satan start his schemes with deception, or by persecution?How does the gospel constrain Satan’s power to deceive?
    • [Note: Satan’s only means against a faithful church that guards against his deception is brute force]
  • What else does the Bible say about restraints on Satan and their timing?
    • Rev 12:9-12 he who deceived (past tense) was (past tense) thrown out.
    • Lk 11:22-23: Jesus did overcome him and is now dividing his spoil;
    • Jn 12:31 The ruler of this world (Satan) was cast from heaven once Jesus was exalted

4) In Rev 20:1-8, what may support one or several millennial views?

  • vv4-5: What is the ‘first resurrection’? [For Premill., this describes a “rapture” of the church into the sky. For Amill. the ‘first resurrection’ describes martyrs who now reign with Christ and who will come with him on the day of judgment; cf 1Th 4:14]
  • vv7-8: Satan’s return from the abyss (incompatible with Postmill.).
    • Premill: Even after Jesus reigned for literally 1000 years on earth – i.e. not just from heaven – Premillennialism inteprets this as a final future revolt against Jesus and his reign as king from a literal Jerusalem.
    • Amill: After the mission of the church has been completed to proclaim the gospel to all tribes and nations on earth, Satan will be allowed to rise and wipe out believers by persecution (cf Rev 11:7)
  • v4, ‘Their reign is with Christ’:
    • Premill. think that these are resurrected saints on earth (in Israel) and that Christ must have returned to earth by then.
    • Amill: Since Christ is reigning from heaven, they must be saints in heaven. cf Rev 1:4-5 Jesus now rules over the kings on earth from heaven. cf Eph 1:20-22

5) The idea of a messianic kingdom that will ‘belong’ to the saints is rooted in the OT. Read Dan 7:9-18: For what era did Daniel predict this kingdom? [Context: The messianic age will follow 4 beast-like empires (Lion: Babylonians; bear: Persians; leopard: Greeks, and a dragon: Rome, with 10 horns]

  • v18, “But the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom…”: Does ‘receiving the kingdom’ mean “to rule with Christ”?
  • When and where did Daniel see Messiah reign?
    • v13, “…a Son of man coming on clouds”: Descending on earth? Or rather ascending to heaven? cf Acts 1:9
    • v18: “…possess the kingdom forever and ever”: Does this leave room for another devastation after a golden era of 1000 years?

6) Did Jesus himself say anything about when the saints will rule with him? cf Lk 17:20-21

  • How did this compare to the expectations of the Pharisees? Did Jesus give them any reasons to hope that their dream will come true? Can the kingdom be “in our midst” if it were a future earthly 1000 year kingdom?
  • Read Lk 9:27 (Mk 9:1) => when did Christ’s kingdom come “with power”?
  • Consider Lk 19:11-15 (parable of the talents): Why did the nobleman go away? Only to wait, or rather to rule, vv12&15?

7) Application

  • How can we serve Christ as a royal priesthood to promote his rule?
  • Prayer; testimony/word; by defeating sin in all forms (“overcome”, 2:26)

For further personal study who will reign with Christ, and how:

  • Mt 21:43 => Jews and/or Gentile believers? cf Gal 3:29 => Neither “replacement” nor “dispensational” theology are warranted; instead, the true church (‘true’ Israel) includes all real followers of Jesus from both Jews and Gentiles
  • How do those saints rule with Christ? cf Rev 20:6  [As priests]
    • Is that a special class of clergy? cf 1Pet 2:5&9; Rev 1:6 [“…he has made us a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father”]
    • How/in what sense are all believers priests?
    • Rev 11:4 Standing before the Lord (church = 2 lamp stands)
    • Rev 2:26 The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations
    • 2Ti 2:8-13 “if we endure, we will also reign with him”; context: Are this and the other promises about ‘ruling’ for an afterlife only?

When & where do believers rule with Christ on earth according to Revelation?

  • Rev 14:1-13. Where do these 144’000 come from?
    • v3: From earth (v3)…of men (v4) => Does that fit with ideas that these are only Israelites? Why not? cf Rev 7) =>
  • Where do they stand? v3, “…before the throne” => Does this mean that they must be the saints who have already passed away? [Rev 7 and 14 don’t say so]
    •  Read Eph 2:4-7 => How are Christians both on earth and before the throne of God? v6:  …and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus…  => why describe them as “seated”?
  • What is the purpose of Christ’s present rule?
    • v11 truth; justice… cf 1Cor 15:24-25 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. =>
  • The “binding” of Satan in Rev 20:1-6 is also described elsewhere, e.g. Rev 12:9-12
    •  Jn 12:31; Lk 11:22-23 He who deceived (past tense) was thrown out. The impact of the gospel restrains his power for a time.