Revelation 20:1-7 teaches a 1,000-year time where Satan is bound and believers are raised to life and reign with Christ. There are three main views.
Premillennialists take Rev. 20:1-7, as well as other Biblical prophecies as true, non-misleading statements of the future. Now prophecy often does have some symbolism, so 1,000 years might mean a long period of time. Premillennialists believe:
Satan is not now locked in the abyss (Rev 20:3)
The nations today are not deceived (Rev 20:3)
None have yet been beheaded for not receiving the mark, and then raised back to life. (Rev 20:4)
Believers do not reign with Christ for just this time. (Rev 20:4,6)
Regardless of a person's theology on other points, believing the plain meaning of the future Millennial reign of Christ in Rev. 20 makes one a premillennialist. Concerning the rapture, premillennialists can be pre-trib, mid-trib, post-trib, pre-Wrath, or "pan-trib" (We do not know when the rapture will occur, but it all pans out in the end!) Premillennialists might view others as "end-time liberals", who do not take Jesus seriously in Rev. 1:3; 22:7, and say this book of the Bible has little meaning for us today.
Amillennialists deny a millennium on earth, but instead believe the millennium, in an allegorical sense, has been occurring in Heaven since the start of the church age and/or right now in believer's lives on earth. The primary difference between a premillennialist and an amillennialist is not interpreting certain passages, but rather that amillennialists view most of the book of Revelation as true but indecipherable. They also interpret most prophecies, such as in Daniel, as non-literal, not actual predictions of the future. Amillennialists do affirm that the full consummation of God's kingdom awaits the future return of Jesus, and there will be the rapture. They think premillennialists give man's dogma as God's word, contrary to 1 Cor. 4:6 and Proverbs 30:5-6.
Post-millennialists are so similar to amillennialists in their non-literal interpretation, that it can be difficult to determine whether Augustine and others were amillennialists or post-millenialists. The main difference is that post-millennialists believe the millennium is happening on earth now, and that the world will get better and better until Christ finally comes. This view was more popular before World War II.
Who Believes Which View
Premillennialists in the early church include Papias (died 163 A.D.), Letter of Barnabas (Implied) (100-150 A.D.), Justin (138-165 A.D.), Irenaeus (182-188 A.D.), Tertullian (207 A.D.), Commodianus (240 A.D.), Victorinus of Petau (martyred 307 A.D.), Methodius (270-311/312 A.D.), Lactantius (c.303-c.325 A.D.), and Augustine before encountering the Donatist Tyconius.
Premillennialists today include Dispensationalist theologians, Bible churches, most conservative Baptists, many Charismatics, and some in Independent Christian Churches. Famous premillennialist writers include Chuck Swindoll, John Walvoord, the Left Behind Series, and many others. Dallas Theological Seminary used to only let premillennialists graduate, but, according to a current student, they have changed this policy.
Those denying a literal 1,000 years in the early church include Dionysius of Alexandria (c.265 A.D.). By Eusebius' time (around 325 A.D.), many of the Christian leaders were not premillennialists. Both a- and post-millennialists say Augustine later held their viewpoint. Post-millennialism looked attractive once Christianity became the official religion of the Roman Empire.
Amillennialists today include Covenant theologians, Lutherans, a minority of Baptists, Catholics, most Presbyterian and Reformed churches, Hank Hanegraff, and R.C. Sproul.
Even as early as Justin Martyr's time (138-165 A.D.) he said genuine Christians disagreed on the literal millennium. Even in the early church both groups accepted each other in Christ.
Pros and Cons
So does the Bible teach rapture before a literal millennium on earth or not? While I think it does, my purpose here is not to convince you, but rather to give you both sides, to decide for yourself.
Here are three interpretations of Revelation 20
The Premillennial Position
1-2) In the future, an angel with the key to the bottomless pit will capture Satan, and bind Him either for a 1,000 years or else a longer period.
3) Satan will be cast into the bottomless bit. Since Satan can only be in one place at one time, Satan will not be on earth, in Heaven, or anywhere else. Currently Satan is prowling around like a roaring lion according to 1 Peter 5:8.
Today many nations are deceived in the sense of denying the truth of God and persecuting God's servants. The nations of the earth will acknowledge Christ during the Millennium
4) Those who were beheaded for not worshipping the beast, or receiving the mark on their foreheads or hands were physically resurrected and lived with Christ. The beast and these beheadings have not occurred yet.
5) The rest of the dead were not raised to life yet. (same Greek word for raised given in verse 4)
6) Those in the first resurrection will be priests and reign during the Millennium. All unfulfilled Old Testament promises to the Jews will be fulfilled, and there will be a Millennial Temple.
7) After the Millennium, Satan will be released and deceive the nations.
8-9) Then the nations will gather in a vast army and surround Jerusalem. This is the judgment in the Valley of Jehoshaphat, not Armageddon, which happened over 1,000 years before. Fire will come from Heaven and kill them. This is a different battle then the one in Revelation 19.
10) The devil will join the beast and false prophet, who were already cast into the Lake of Fire in Revelation 19:20. They will be in conscious torment forever.
11) Then the dead will stand before God, and some were judged according to the Book of Life, and others according to their works. Everyone whose name is not in the Book of Life suffers the second death in the Lake of Fire.
Amillennial [& Postmillennial] Positions
1-3) Satan was bound while Christ was on earth. Satan has already been bound and "cast into the bottomless pit", at Christ's resurrection, [or else around 325 A.D.]
Satan is not deceiving the nations on earth anymore right now, though he will do so at the end. Deceived here might mean giving up their sovereignty to follow Satan.
4) Those who were beheaded for not worshipping the beast probably include all Christians. They are reigning with Christ in heaven right now [or else Christ is reigning with believers right now on earth]. Verse 4 does not refer to physical resurrection, but a spiritual resurrection of a new life in Christ.
5) The rest of the dead will not be resurrected physically until after this period. [A variant of this view is that since the Greek words are the same in the same context, this second resurrection is only spiritual too.]
6) The first resurrection either refers to either our new life in Christ, or else a physical resurrection of only believers after this time. Believers reign with Christ now in Heaven [or also Christ reigns in their hearts now on earth].
7) In the end, Satan will use direct power again.
8-9) Then the nations will gather in a vast army and surround Jerusalem. The battle of Armageddon and the Valley of Jehoshaphat are the same battle. Fire will come from Heaven and kill them. This is the same battle as the one in Revelation 19. Indeed, all of Revelation 20:1-10 is a "recap" of earlier parts of Revelation from a different angle.
10) The devil is thrown into the lake of fire immediately after the beast and false prophet are thrown in. They will be in conscious torment forever.
11) Then the dead will stand before God, and some were judged according to the Book of Life, and others according to their works. Everyone whose name is not in the Book of Life suffers the second death in the Lake of Fire.
Premillennial Arguments on Rev 20
"And" (kai in Greek) is the first word of Rev 20:1. This often indicates following the previous.
John was shown the same events in two visions, one right after the other.
1,000 years is mentioned six times in chapter 20. If God really meant exactly 1,000 years, how would amillennialists postulate God could say exactly 1,000 years so that they would not dismiss it as a symbol? 1,260 days, 42 months, etc., are literal times in Revelation, so why single out 1,000 years as being figurative?
2 Peter 3:8 and Psalm 90:4 show that 1,000 years can mean a long period of time.
If Satan were currently bound, how is he still:
Be now at work in Ephesians 2:2
Be prowling around like a roaring lion -1 Peter 5:8
Hinder Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:18
Enter into Judas Iscariot in Luke 22:3
Fill the heart of Ananias in Acts 5:3
Have people handed over to him in 1 Corinthians 5:5; 1 Timothy 1:20
Satan can still tempt us (1 Cor 7:5)
Trap people (2 Timothy 2:26)
If Satan is now locked up in the abyss, how is he at the same time still prowling around like a roaring lion 1 Peter 5:8
The nations today are deceived contrary to Revelation 20:3 in the Millennium.
Satan can outwit (deceive us) in 2 Cor. 2:11.
Satan still blinds unbelievers. (2 Cor. 4:3-4)
Nations will be deceived to follow the Antichrist.
Have believers already been beheaded for not receiving the mark of the beast and not worshipping the beast or his image in Revelation 20:4? - not by a long shot. It is one thing to say some passages are symbolic, but it is another thing entirely to make entire passages not only entirely devoid of meaning, but to say that the plain meaning misleads people.
Rebuttal: There have been many Christian martyrs who refused to worship the Emperor.
Have the believers already been resurrected who have allegedly already been killed for not receiving the mark of the beast as Revelation 20:4 says? They certainly have not!
Rebuttal: When Revelation 20:5 refers to being raised to life, it may refer to them being spiritually raised to new life in Christ. They are alive in Heaven right now in a spiritual body.
Counter-rebuttal: The Greek for raised to life in Rev. 20:4 is the same word for the dead being raised at the end of the Millennium in Revelation 20:5. Interpretation this symbolic calls into question whether there is any bodily resurrection at all, contrary to 1 Corinthians 15:12-14.
Counter-counter Rebuttal: The resurrection in Revelation 20:5 might be physical (despite the same Greek word) or it might have a spiritual meaning. If it has a spiritual meaning, then there might also be a physical resurrection not mentioned in Rev. 20.
Revelation 20:4,6 means reigning with Christ on earth; otherwise it would mean we only reign with Christ in Heaven for this period.
Rebuttal: Revelation 20 never explicitly mentions the end of the reign of believers with Christ.
A literal 1,000 year millennium was understood by some Jews, as 2 Enoch and the Babylonian Talmud Sanhedrin 97b show. Using a literal concept that was already held, without any mention of correction, shows the author held the concept as true.
Rebuttal: Others did not hold to a Millennium.
Amillennial Arguments on Rev. 20
There are six "whys" to ask on Revelation 20.
Why is there a "gospel of sight" when Christ is visible during the Millennium, succeeding the gospel of faith that is now?
Why is there a postponed kingdom of Christ?
Why is there a long separation between Christ's coming, the resurrection, and the judgment, which the Bible shows together?
Why are there two great battles and two resurrections?
Why is the rest of the New Testament silent on connecting the second coming with an earthly kingdom centered at Jerusalem?
After you die as a Christian, why do you expect to be resurrected to live with wicked people on the same earth?
Do not base a major doctrine on only one passage.
Rebuttal: A literal millennium on a great number of other scriptures, as the next section shows.
Premillennial Arguments besides Rev 20
Best explained by an earthly millennium
After the Euphrates dries up, a highway for the remnant of God's people. (Isa 11:16; 35:8-10)
Armageddon is prior to the Millennium. (Rev 16:16; Zech 12:7-11; 14:2-8,12)
Israelites attack non-Israelite land. (Isa 11:13-14)
Jacob makes servants of his captors. (Isa 14:1-17)
After the great battle, the other nations must celebrate the Feast of Booths. (Zech 14:12-21)
After the great battle, non-Israelite survivors will entreat God. (Zechariah 8:21-23)
They will bring offerings to the Lord, and some will be selected as Levites. (Isaiah 66:20-21)
Eunuchs in the temple and foreigners offer sacrifices. (Isaiah 56:3-7)
The Temple will be filled with glory. (Haggai 2:7)
The Temple during the Millennium. (Ezek 40-48)
Animal sacrifice in the Temple during the Millennium. (Ezekiel 40:38,42; 43:20-22)
Room to wash the burnt offerings in the Temple. (Ezekiel 40:38-42)
The Levites will never fail to have a man to offer burnt offerings before God. (Jeremiah 33:18)
Purify the Levites, have men bring offerings, as in days gone by. (Malachi 3:3-4)
The host on high are punished. (Isaiah 24:21-22)
Evil angels judged. (1 Cor 6:3; Revelation 20:10
Sodom returns to its state. (Ezekiel 16:55)
People unfortunate if they die at 100. (Isa 65:20)
God settling disputes between peoples. (Isa 2:4)
Whole earth knows the glory of the Lord. (Isaiah 11:9; Habakkuk 2:14; Zephaniah 2:11)
Lion and lamb will lie down together. (Isa 11:6-8)
Abraham's descendents getting all the land up to the Euphrates River. (Genesis 15:18)
God turns back the enemy, and Jerusalem will never again fear any harm. (Zephaniah 3:13-16; Zechariah 12:7-11; 14:2-8,12)
Jerusalem (not the new one) will be holy. (Isa 4:3)
Jews will mourn the one they pierced (Zech 12:10)
Prophecy will pass away. (Zechariah 13:3-6; 1 Corinthians 13:9; Micah 2:6)
David as a prince will reign. (Ezekiel 34:23)
Some Christians' loss of rewards might possibly include loss during this time. (Heb 6:4-12)
Wicked resurrected. (Daniel 12:2; John 5:29)
[A few think] Gog and Magog. (Ezekiel 38-39)
Valley of Jehoshaphat judgment. (Joel 3:1-2)
Jerusalem surrounded at the end. (Joel 2:20; 3:10)
Miraculous deliverance of Jerusalem. (Isa 29:5-9)
Amillennial Arguments Besides Rev 20
Just as Messianic prophecies were not clear in Old Testament times, the endtime prophecies are blurry in our time. They are either symbolic, or fulfilled prior to Christ's return.
For more info please contact Christian Debater™ P.O. Box 144441 Austin, TX 78714 www.BibleQuery.org
by Steven M. Morrison, PhD.