What are your thoughts about the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ?
What I mean is how do you interpret this Scripture: “They will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:6, emphasis mine).
Throughout church history, the “thousand years” have been interpretated as follows:
Premillennialism
This view teaches that Jesus Christ will return to earth prior to the Millennial Kingdom. This view sees the Millennial Kingdom as a literal, future period of peace and righteousness, during which Christ reigns physically on earth. This view believes in a future restoration of Israel and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies.
Postmillennialism
This view holds that the Millennial Kingdom will be realized through the gradual spread of the gospel and Christian influence in the world. It teaches that the world will experience a period of peace and righteousness as more people come to embrace Christianity. Many Postmillennialists believe that a great revival will spread throughout the earth, dramatically reforming culture. After this prolonged period, Christ will return to judge the world and establish the eternal state. This view interprets the one-thousand-year reign of Christ happening through the church, before Jesus returns (Rev. 20:6).
Amillennialism
As the “a” indicates, this view doesn’t interpret Christ’s one-thousand-year reign literally (Rev. 20:6). Amillennialists believe the Millennial Kingdom began at Christ’s resurrection, will last until Christ returns, and is spiritual in nature. Amillennialists interpret biblical prophecies related to the Millennial Kingdom as describing the spiritual reign of Christ in the Church Age. They believe that Christ’s second coming will immediately precede the final judgment and the establishment of the eternal state.
What, exactly, is the difference between Postmillennialism and Amillennialism? Postmillennialism is more optimistic than Amillennialism, believing that most people will become Christians before Jesus returns. Amillennialists, on the other hand, are not nearly as optimistic.
Why I Believe in Premillennialism
1. It’s the only view that interprets Revelation 20 using a literal method of interpretation.
2. The Messianic Kingdom is mentioned frequently throughout the prophets, especially in Isaiah, Ezekiel, Zechariah, Jeremiah, Joel, Malachi, and Micah.
3. For more than 700 years before Christ came, the Jewish people believed in a literal, physical Messianic Kingdom and Jesus affirmed it.
4. The early church believed in a literal, physical kingdom on the earth for at least 200 years, prior to Origen of Alexandria.
5. Both the Postmillennial and Amillennial views were established when Israel was not a nation.
6. Some say it’s hard to form a doctrine from one verse, but 1,000 years is mentioned six times in the 15 verses in Revelation 20.
7. During the Millennial Kingdom, Satan is bound in the abyss (hell) for 1,000 years. Ephesians 6 and Revelation 12 both make it clear that Satan is presently deceiving the nations from the second heavens.
8. Revelation 20 naturally flows from Revelation 19, which is clearly after the Lord returns.
9. If Christ is presently reigning on earth, it’s terribly disappointing.
10. There’s no way to arrive at the Amillennial or Postmillennial views without Replacement Theology (the church has replaced Israel in God’s prophetic plans) or Partial/Full Preterism (the belief all or most prophecies were fulfilled in 70 A.D.).
11. The resurrection of the dead, clearly described in Revelation 20:4, must be completely spiritualized. For example, it baffles me how someone can spiritualize those who have lost their heads to mean anything other than people who were literally beheaded.
For these eleven reasons, I believe firmly in Premillennialism.
