Be Ye Doers. . . Of The Word!

Many people say that when Christ comes again, He will reign here on earth for 1,000 years. They call this "theory" the millennial reign.

Consider the following diagram which shows the general idea as to how the premillennialists views the end of time.

Old Testament --> Christ's Death on the Cross --> Church Age --> Rapture -->Tribulation & Antichrist --> Millennial Reign

In this article, we want to direct our attention to the last phase of the "saga" of the premillennialist end-time teaching they refer to as the "Millennial Reign."

The premillennialists teach that Christ will call out, or "rapture" the church out of the world and leave the sinners for a 3 � to 7 year span to endure the "Great Tribulation" and the dreaded "antichrist." Then Christ will come back with His saints to literally rule here on earth for 1,000 years, or in their terms, a millennium or "Millennial Reign."

The Scripture that the premillennialist uses to teach this theory is found in Revelation 20:1-7, which reads, "And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, and cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they set upon them, and judgement was given unto them: and <I saw> the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshiped the beast, neither his image, neither had received <his> mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This <is> the first resurrection. Blessed and holy <is> he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years. And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison."

First, we must understand what Revelation 20:1-7 is saying, so that we can understand what it is not saying. Again, I remind you that Revelation is written in symbolic language.

Verse 1 - In this first verse, the angel John saw coming down from heaven was Jesus. This is easily explained by Revelation 1:18, which tells us that it is Christ who has the keys to Hell (Hades) and of death.

Verse 2 - This verse explains who the dragon is, it is Satan. Now we come to the term "thousand years." First, let's note several interesting facts about these words. In the Old Testament we find that these words have symbolic meaning and not direct meaning. This is evident by its context. Read Psalms 50:10: "For every beast of the forest <is> mine, <and> the cattle upon a thousand hills." We read here that God, through the psalmist, says that the cows on a thousand hills are His. We know this is symbolic language because I Corinthians 10:26-28 informs us that all of the "...earth is the Lord's and the fullness thereof."

Another use of the words "thousand years" is found in Psalms 90:4. Along the same line of thinking, we come to the New Testament for the words "thousand years." Please carefully study II Peter 3:8, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day <is> with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day."

In the last two verses, it is more clearly evident that God and Christ do not consider time as we do. Here is yet another interesting fact, the Jews themselves considered time differently than we do today. To the Jews, if you did anything for one part of the day, it was as if you had done it all that day. Consider when Christ died on the cross on Friday evening and arose on Sunday morning. To most of us, this would be, at best, two days and two nights. To the Jews, however, part of Friday made one whole day and night, Saturday made one whole day and night, and part of Sunday made one whole day and night.

There is no contradiction in Scripture about Christ being three days and nights
". . . in the heart of the earth." There is only a contradiction in our understanding of the Scripture. The same rule applies with Revelation 20:1-7 when talking about literal, physical reign of Jesus here on earth. Some people just have a contradiction in their understanding of what John is saying.

By this we conclude that in every instance where the words "thousand years" are used in Revelation 20, they literally mean, "a long period of time."

Now let's continue with our verses.

Verse 3 - This verse states that Jesus locked Satan away in the bottomless pit (the abyss). It also says that Satan could not deceive the nations. Some may wonder how we have so much violence if Satan is bound and cannot deceive. Again, symbolic language. Remember, in the Old Testament, how Satan had free roam of the earth? Examine Job 1:7: "And the LORD said unto Satan, 'Whence comest thou?' Then Satan answered the LORD, and said, 'From going to and fro in the earth, and from walking up and down in it.'" Satan was considered the Prince of this world during the time of the Old Testament, but we see that Jesus says in John 12:31, that Satan was about to be cast out of the world: "Now is the judgement of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out." Also read John 14:30 and 16:11. John 12:31 is saying the same thing that Revelation 20:3 is saying. Satan has been locked away in the bottomless pit (abyss) for a "thousand years" or a long period of time.

If Satan is locked away, where does the violence and chaos come from? We too easily assume that because Satan is locked away, he has no power. Consider Jimmy Hoffa, a notorious gangster. Even though he was imprisoned, he managed to run the mafia through those who worked for him. This is exactly the way that Satan works. Ephesians 2:2 states this fact, "Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:" Satan is locked up, but has mighty power through those who are willing to serve him.

Verse 4 - This verse is describing those who
have died serving Christ. Those who were beheaded, those who had not worshiped the beast (Satan), those who had not received his mark on their foreheads and on their hands. (We need to briefly discuss what Revelation 13:18 refers to when it describes the mark of the beast. Revelation 13:16-18 is not describing some future event, yet to take place, but rather that anyone who serves the beast (Satan) would do so by works of his hands or by thoughts from his mind.) Verse 4 is telling us that all of those who serve Christ while they are alive will reign with him when they die.

Verse 5 - Verses 4, 5 & 6 should be examined in light of each other. Verse 4 refers to Christians who have died, verse 5 is referring to sinners who have died and says that they shall not live until the "thousand years" or long period of time was over.

Verse 6 - Verse 6 starts out by saying, "Blessed and Holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection. . ." What is the first resurrection? It is baptism! Romans 6:3-5, "Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death? Therefore we are buried with Him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of Life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of His death, we shall be also <in the likeness> of <His> resurrection:"

Revelation 20:6 should be just another example as to the importance of baptism. It states that those who take part in the first resurrection, namely baptism, the second death (which is Hell) hath no power over them.

Verse 7 - When the "thousand years" or long period of time is over, Satan shall be loosed from the bottomless pit (abyss). Note that when Satan is loosed, it doesn't say that he convinced or convicted one Christian to serve him. The following verses state that Satan and his army will compass the camp of the saints, but before any harm comes to the first Christian, Satan will be cast into Hell.

The "thousand years" spoke of in Revelation 20:1-7 is a symbolic way to say a long period of time. Not one of these verses say that Christ will come back to establish a literal, physical kingdom.

Home | Article Series - Be Ye Doers! | Poetry | Inspirational Stories | Search | Plan of Salvation | Links of Interest | Contact Us!