Introduction
In today’s world, people are constantly
arguing about the biggest threats to the earth. No matter one’s stance, there
are numerous threats to the environment and earth itself. Perhaps it is safe to
say that humanity is failing to be good stewards of the earth God created. If
man persists on his present course, earth’s destruction is inevitable. If this
happens, can the earth survive or even possibly rebound to its present
inhabitability? This is exactly what is foretold in the book of Revelation. In his
writing, John the revelator discusses a millennial reign of Christ that follows
cataclysmic events that destroy the earth. This paper will describe the
details pertaining to the nature of the millennium, the timing of the
millennium, the duration of the millennium, the occupants of the millennial
kingdom, and the relationship of Israel and the church to the millennial kingdom.
Context of Revelation
The book of Revelation begins with John, a
disciple of Jesus Christ, being exiled to the island
of Patmos for preaching Christ. Rome
was the current world power and engaged in emperor worship. Any belief or claim
that there was another god was considered treason and thus, John was convicted
and sentenced to exile. It is believed that the writing dates somewhere in the
mid 90’s but some date it to the late 60’s. Many scholars believe that it was
written during the latter years of the Roman emperor Domitian and that it was
he who sentenced John to exile. It is also believed that the original
recipients were the believers in the seven churches mentioned in chapters two
and three.
The Alpha and Omega
John begins by
explaining that he was on the island called Patmos and that it was on the Lord’s
day when he received this revelation from Christ. The voice he heard
proclaimed, “I am the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last” (Rev. 1:11,
NKJV). John understood that this was the voice of the Lord and he was commanded
to write down what he saw and heard and send it to the seven churches: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamos, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and Laodicea. John then saw, “one like unto the Son of man” walking amongst
seven golden lampstands (Rev. 1:12-3, NKJV). He gives a physical description of
the Lord and says He [Jesus] held seven stars and had a two-edged sword in His
mouth. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches which are
represented by the lampstands, and the sword is His word.
Seven Churches
Before the Lord discloses His judgment on the ungodly, He first addresses
His church. The seven churches were actual historical churches but each
demonstrated characteristics common to most churches throughout the ages. The
Lord gives an address to each church and follows a general outline with few
exceptions. After the address, He gives a commendation or condemnation, counsel
or warning, and a promise. While His comments are made to each specific church
and address their obedience and/or failures, the church today should take heed
and seek to follow the advice He gives.
The Throne Room
Next, John is summoned
into God’s throne room where he gets a glimpse at the Lord’s majesty. In his
limited earthly vocabulary, John attempts to describe all that he sees. He
paints a picture of twenty-four elders and various creatures that surround the
throne and worship continually. It is here that he sees a scroll with seven
seals. The question is raised, who can open the scroll and break the seals but no
one present is worthy, leading John to weep. Then emerges a Lamb that had been
slain; this is Jesus and He alone is worthy to open the scroll.
The Judgments
Between chapter 6 and 18, numerous judgments are rendered
concerning the unsaved. Some directly affect man while others affect the earth,
thereby affecting man still. There are also images that represent world events
and John watches in horror as the future unfolds before his eyes. He is given a
glimpse into those things that will take place preceding the return of Christ
and he also witnesses the glorious return of his Lord. Further, he sees the
ultimate demise of Satan. John’s vision is filled with unimaginable pain and
suffering but although the end is gruesome for Satan and his minions, the
future holds great promise for the faithful.
Jesus’
Foretells of His Return
The disciples had asked
Jesus, “Tell us, when will these things be?
And what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?”
(Mat. 24:3, NKJV). Beginning in chapter 24 and continuing through chapter 25,
in Matthews gospel, Jesus gave them a glance into the future. He warned them
about those who would claim to be the Messiah (vv. 4, 5), about wars and rumors
of war (v. 6), of the rise and fall of many kingdoms, and then He gave them
insight that would later be recorded by John in Revelation (vv. 7, 8). When
looking at the text in Revelation, some questions are not answered but Jesus’
words to His disciples help fill in the gaps so that those who study have a
clear picture of the end times and the events leading up to them.
The Return of Christ
Revelation 19:11-21 says that Christ Jesus will return, riding on a
white horse; the only weapon He will wield is the sword of His mouth. He will
be followed by the armies from
heaven, dressed in white linen, but this battle will be over quickly and will
be won by a simple utterance from His mouth. As
Jesus prepares to rule, He has Satan bound and locked in the abyss where he
will not be allowed to deceive man during the millennial reign. The Antichrist and the false prophet will be cast into the lake
of fire. At this time, Christ will establish His millennial kingdom.
The Millennial Kingdom
Some argue that there
will be no millennial kingdom [amillennialists] since the book of Revelation is
apocalyptic and thus figurative. They argue that a one-thousand year reign
cannot be taken in a literal sense. This argument will be covered in more depth
later. While the book of Revelation is apocalyptic and partially symbolic, this
is not a viable reason to disregard any literal interpretation.[1]
During the millennial kingdom, literally one-thousand years, there will be two
groups of believers who reign with Christ: those who died previously and those
who repented and survived during the tribulation. John writes that he saw the souls of those who
had been beheaded and they sat on thrones, ruling and reigning with Christ for
a thousand years (Rev. 20:4). He further states, in verses 5 and 6, that there
are two resurrections; the first is the resurrection of the saints and the
second will be the resurrection of the lost when they stand before judgment. Those
who survive the tribulation will not yet have their resurrected bodies so they
will bear children. These children will also have children and some of these
will be unregenerate and remain unsaved.[2]
For the saved, this will be a time of great joy as King Jesus rules in an ideal
setting. It will be a time where the nation of Israel is joined with the church to worship and reign with Christ.
Postmillennialists
There are those who interpret the millennial kingdom differently; one
such group is known as postmillennialists. They see this time as more of a cleansing
of society, an era of spiritual prosperity rather than an actual time that
Jesus rules on earth; therefore, at His return, He will find a Christianized
world.[3]
This view is in stark contrast to Jesus own words when He states, “Then the sign of the Son of Man will appear in heaven, and then all the tribes
of the earth will mourn, and they will see the Son of Man coming
on the clouds of
heaven with power and great glory” (Matthew 24:30, NKJV). The
psalmist writes, “Yet I have set My King On My
holy hill of Zion” (Ps. 2:6, NKJV). In light of Scripture, it is hard to support
the postmillennialist view.
Amillennialists
Amillennialists
basically deny any future earthly kingdom. According to Towns, they hold two
different views: 1) some believe the promises of a kingdom are currently taking
place in heaven and 2) others believe the kingdom is a spiritual manifestation
being fulfilled through the church.[4]
Either view rejects a literal interpretation of Scripture and appears hard to
defend when there is so much that contradicts such notions. The psalmist, most
likely David, wrote, “You shall break them with a
rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter’s vessel” (Ps. 2:9,
NKJV). This is repeated by John in Revelation (2:27; 12:5;
19:5). According to amillennialist views, these verses make no sense and cannot
take place. Why would Christ break the rebellious with an iron rod in heaven or
dash them to pieces? The rebellious are not in heaven. If left to the church,
as in the second view, the church is failing miserably. Jesus often spoke of
His return, as recorded in Matthew 24:30, 26:64, and numerous other passages. Based
on this and the rejection of a literal interpretation, this position should be
rejected.
Premillennialists
Premillennialists view
the Scriptures literally. When Jesus says that He will return physically, that
is what is accepted. Several passages have been listed in rebuttal to the opposing
views but perhaps one last passage should be added. As the disciples watched
Jesus ascend to heaven, “behold, two men stood
by them in white apparel, who also said, ‘Men
of Galilee, why do you stand gazing up into heaven? This same Jesus, who
was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him
go into heaven’” (Acts 1:10,11, NKJV). Bock makes an interesting
observation and suggests that the two men, or angels, “evoke the two-witness
motif” found in Deuteronomy 19:15; giving credibility to their witness.[5]
This seems to be irrefutable evidence that Christ will return physically just
as He said.
Heaven on Earth
While the term heaven on earth has been tossed around
casually for many years, it will take on a literal meaning during the
millennial reign of Christ. When Jesus taught the disciples to pray, He said, “Our
Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven” (Luke 11:2, NKJV). This may well answer
what the millennial kingdom will look like. Christ will rule supreme and David
will be a vice regent (Ezek. 37:22-24). The apostles and other saints will rule
under them (Mat. 19:28; Zech. 3:7).
There will be no death and people will work as they do today (Zech. 8:4-6; Isa.
62:8-9, 65:20-23; Ezek. 48:18-19). Life will revert back to the days of the
garden. Life will once again be the way the Lord intended it to be.
Jews
In chapter 7, John
writes that God’s judgment is restrained until 144,000 Jews, 12,000 from each of
the twelve tribes, are sealed, protecting them from the wrath of God. He refers
to them as, “the servants of our God” (Rev. 7:3, NKJV). According to Clouse,
“The Jews will figure prominently in the future age because the
premillennialists believe that they will be converted in large numbers and will
again have a prominent place in God’s work.”[6]
While Israel, as a nation, still denies Jesus as their Messiah, God is not
through with them yet. He chose them to be His people and there is nothing in
Scripture to suggest that He has abandoned them; in fact, to the contrary. The
two witnesses, mentioned in chapter 11, are similar to John the Baptist and
represent the return of Elijah, calling Israel to repent in the future, much like Zerubbabel and Joshua did in the
past.[7]
Satan’s Last Stand
It would not be fitting to close without
revisiting Satan who has been bound and held in the abyss for the previous
one-thousand years. At the end of Christ’s millennial rule, Satan will be
released. He gathers the armies of Gog and Magog, which the Bible says are as
numerous as sand, and together they march against Jerusalem.
This vast army surrounds the city and in a flash, fire comes down from heaven
and destroys them in an instant (Rev. 20:7-9). Satan is cast into the lake of
fire where he will be tormented for eternity. One writer states, “The devil
will be released from the abyss but he will never be released from the lake of
fire. He will never be a threat to anyone again.”[8]
A New Heaven and a New
Earth
While life may seem as good as it gets,
there is more to come. God will usher in a new heaven and a new earth (Rev.
21:1). Towns questions if this is perhaps the Beulah mentioned by Isaiah the
prophet, which means married and is the Bride of Christ.[9]
John tried to describe what this all will look like but more than likely, his
descriptions pale in comparison to what the Lord has in mind.
Conclusion
While people around the globe argue over saving our planet, little do they know
that their efforts are worthless. Perhaps they may do some good for a time but
any long term goals will be brought to ruin. As is recorded in Scripture, man
will succeed at destroying the planet. God ultimately decides when and how but
He has foretold of His plan to destroy the evil that Satan and man have devised
in their hearts. He alone has the authority to wipe the slate clean and start
anew. Unlike man, He has the power and authority to make all things new and
beautiful.
Bibliography
Bock, Darrell L. Acts. Grand
Rapids: Baker Academic, 2007.
Boyd, Gregory
A., Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology,
2nd Edition. Grand
Rapids: Baker Academic, 2009.
Brindle,
Wayne A., Carl J. Diemer, Edward G. Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Paul R. Fink, James A. Freerksen, Edward E. Hindson, et al. King James Study Bible. Nashville:Thomas
Nelson, 1988.
Cabal, Ted, Chad Owen Brand, E.
Ray Clendenen, Paul Copan, J.P. Moreland, ed. The Apologetics
Study Bible. Nashville:
Holman Bible Publishers, 2007.
Elwell, Walter A. Evangelical
Dictionary of Theology, 2nd Edition. Grand Rapids:
Baker
Book House Company, 2001.
Life Application
Study Bible. New American Standard Bible. Grand Rapids:
Zondervan, 2000.
Towns, Elmer L. Theology
for Today. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2008.
Towns, Elmer L. A
Journey Through the New Testament. Mason: Cengage Learning, 2008.
[1]. Gregory
A. Boyd, Paul R. Eddy, Across the
Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology, 2nd Edition,
(Grand Rapids: Baker Academic,
2009), 264.
[2]. Wayne
A. Brindle, Carl J. Diemer, Edward G. Dobson, Jerry Falwell, Paul R. Fink, James A. Freerksen, Edward E. Hindson, et al, King James Study Bible. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1988), 2014.
[3]. Elmer
Towns, Theology for Today, (Mason: Cengage Learning, 2008), 799.
[4].
Towns, 800.
[6]. Walter
A. Elwell, Evangelical Dictionary of
Theology, 2nd Edition, (Grand Rapids:
Baker Book House Company, 2001), 770.
[7]. Brindle,
1997.
[8]. Life
Application Study Bible, New American Standard Bible, (Grand
Rapids: Zondervan, 2000), 2273.
[9]. Elmer
L. Towns,
A Journey Through the New Testament,
(Mason: Cengage Learning, 2008), 359.
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