The Millennium refers to the period of 1,000 year reign of Christ mentioned in Revelation 20:3. The exact timing and nature of what is meant by the Millennium is debated between three viewpoints:
- Amillennialism,
- Postmillennialism, and
- Premillennialism.
The Millennium, as mentioned in Revelation 20:1-4, denotes the 1,000 year reign of Christ, a passage that has triggered substantial debate among three eschatological schools of thought: Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Premillennialism.
These differing eschatologies relate to the timing of the return of Christ with regards to the 1,000 years and the precise nature of the Millennium.
Amillennialists do not anticipate a future literal 1,000 years, but rather interpret it as Christ’s reign with his saints during the time between his two comings.
Postmillennialists believe Christ returns after the millennium, ushering in a golden age when the majority of the world has embraced Christianity. On the other hand,
Premillennialists believe Christ returns prior to the millennium, preceded by a period of intense tribulation.
THE THREE VIEWS OF MILLENNIUM
Eschatology, the branch of Christian theology focusing on the study of last things, encompasses the examination of Christ’s future return, the resurrection, the rapture, the final judgment, the eternal blessedness of the redeemed with Christ, and the eternal punishment of the damned apart from his presence. While there is considerable agreement on these fundamental points, the particulars have generated diverse thoughts among Christians since the earliest centuries of the Church. The various eschatological perspectives developed by theologians throughout history can be categorized into three general systems: amillennialism, postmillennialism, and premillennialism. Each term is distinguished by a prefix attached to the word “millennium,” deriving from the Latin terms mille (thousand) and annus (year).1 This nomenclature reflects how each view came to be known based on its interpretation of Revelation 20:1-10, particularly the timing of the return of Christ in relation to the 1,000 years mentioned therein. Accordingly, amillennialists expect no millennium (the prefix –a means “no”), postmillennialists believe Christ returns after the millennium (the prefix –post means “after”), and premillennialists believe Christ returns before the millennium (the prefix –pre means “before”).
Amillenialism presents the expectation of no millennial kingdom. However, this does not imply a complete denial of a millennium, despite the terminology suggesting so.2 Anthony Hoekema succinctly presents an amillennial interpretation of Revelation 20:
According to amillennialists, the millennium describes the present reign of the souls of deceased believers with Christ in heaven. They view the binding of Satan as in effect during the entire period between the first and second comings of Christ, although ending shortly before Christ’s return. They teach that Christ will return after this heavenly reign.
Amillennialists believe that the current era constitutes the millennial kingdom, characterized by simultaneous experiences of gospel victory and suffering for the gospel. This evidently indicates that amillennialists interpret “one thousand” figuratively. The spread of the gospel is victorious because Satan is bound, rendering him incapable of obstructing its dissemination, yet he retains the capacity to persecute the Church. Just before the end, Satan will again be permitted to deceive the nations, leading to a significant increase in persecution. Christians await the visible, bodily return of Christ, which culminates in the end of all suffering. The second coming takes place concurrently with the general resurrection3 and a public rapture4 of the Church, who immediately returns to earth with Christ. Subsequently, Christ judges the world and ultimately inaugurates the eternal state.
Central to the amillennialist understanding is the tension of “already/not yet.” Christians currently reside in the inaugurated kingdom, as Christ rules from heaven; nevertheless, they anticipate the full realization of the kingdom when Christ will reign on Earth eternally.5 The inaugurated kingdom endures tribulation and suffering, as well as victory through the dissemination of the Gospel; in the consummate kingdom, the new heavens and new earth, there will be eternal rest. Another pivotal point of this view lies in the interpretation of Old Testament prophecy, particularly as delineated in the New Testament. Kim Riddlebarger notes, “Amillennialists assert that the promises made to Israel, David, and Abraham in the Old Testament are fulfilled by Jesus Christ and his church during this present age.”6 Given that these promises have been fulfilled, no future fulfillment is necessitated. Amillennialists cite passages that teach the consummation of history at the second coming, with only the eternal state following. Amillennialists root their interpretation of Revelation 20 in the idea that it recapitulates or re-presents the events described in Revelation 19, as opposed to following them in chronological succession.7
Postmillennialism maintains that Christ will return after the millennium. Analogous to amillennialism, the terminology falls short. Strictly in a chronological sense, amillennialists and postmillennialists concur that Christ returns after the millennium. In fact, amillennialists were formerly recognized as postmillennialists until the twentieth century.9 Postmillennialists generally align with the amillennial interpretation of Revelation 20.10 Both schools share the understanding that the millennium is figurative, not a literal one thousand year period, and that it “is a time in which the gospel is preached throughout the world” while Satan remains bound.11 They also concur on the general course of events in the end times: Upon the return of Jesus, the general physical resurrection of the righteous and the wicked transpires, followed by the final judgment, culminating in the new heavens and new earth.
What distinguishes postmillennialism from amillennialism is not the timing of the second coming in relation to the millennium, but rather the nature of the millennium. While amillennialism anticipates both victory and suffering for the Church until the second coming, postmillennialism posits a gradual reduction in much of the Church’s suffering before Christ’s return. Postmillennialists await a golden age of righteousness on earth, the millennium, during which the Church experiences escalating prosperity and significant influence on the culture. This golden age embodies the postmillennialist’s conception of the millennium. Loraine Boettner defines postmillennialism:
Postmillennialism is the belief that the kingdom of God is presently expanding in the world through the preaching of the gospel and the salvific work of the Holy Spirit in individuals’ hearts. It holds that the world will eventually be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur following a prolonged period of righteousness and peace, commonly referred to as the millennium.
Gentry explains, “Postmillennialism anticipates that eventually the vast majority of people will be saved.” This will result in “a period in history prior to Christ’s return during which faith, righteousness, peace, and prosperity will prevail in human and national affairs.” This increasing percentage of the global population embracing beliefs and living according to God’s will naturally leads to greater degrees of peace and justice within their respective communities. It is imperative to note that this prosperity stems from a substantial portion of the world’s population living according to God’s word.
Postmillennialists frequently refer to The Great Commission, contending that it “will achieve complete success.” They also cite the messianic Psalms, particularly Psalm 2, specifically verses 7-9, “… I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” Additionally, they draw attention to the parables of Matthew 13, which appear to suggest the extraordinary growth of the church.
There are two premillennial systems:
- Historic premillennialism and
- Dispensational premillennialism.
Historic premillennialism is termed as such because it closely resembles the premillennialism embraced in ancient times, known as chiliasm. Dispensational premillennialism derives its name from the theology formulated by John Nelson Darby in the nineteenth century, which divides biblical history into a series of ages or dispensations. Both forms of premillennialism align with a chronological and more literal reading of Revelation 20:1-6, subsequent to the return of Christ and the final battle detailed in Revelation 19:11-21.
George Ladd defines Premillennialism as, “the doctrine stating that after the Second Coming of Christ, [Christ] will reign for a thousand years over the earth before the final consummation of God’s redemptive purpose in the new heavens and the new earth of the Age to Come.”
Historic Premillennialists assert that the current age will persist until a brief period of tribulation, after which “Christ will return to earth to establish a millennial kingdom.” The second coming will be accompanied by a resurrection of believers and a public rapture. These resurrected believers will co-reign with Christ, who will “be bodily present on the earth in his resurrected form and will reign as King over the entire earth.” During this time, Satan is “bound and cast into the bottomless pit so that he will have no influence on the earth during the millennium.” Following the millennium, Satan is briefly released, leading a portion of the world’s population in rebellion against Christ. Christ quells this rebellion, judges the world, and then introduces the eternal state. This interpretation assumes, in contrast to the amillennialist and postmillennialist viewpoints, that the events described in Revelation 19 and 20 are chronologically successive.
While Revelation 20 is the sole passage specifying a period of 1,000 years, and thus the various positions (a-, pre-, and post-) as “millennial,” this is not the crucial question that distinguishes premillennialism from the other two. The pivotal question revolves around whether this age will immediately transition into the final/eternal state (“the golden age”), or if an intermediate stage of the eschatological kingdom (a “silver” age) lies between.
Premillennialists argue that in addition to Revelation 20, passages such as Isaiah 11 and 65-66, Zechariah 14, and 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 also indicate such an intermediary stage (with a program of Israel’s age), while amillennialists and postmillennialists attribute these passages either to the church age or the final state.
The question of the millennium stands as an internal debate among Christians, demanding thorough study combined with a willingness to engage robustly with biblical text and its interpretation. The disparities between these perspectives stem from hermeneutical, exegetical, and theological viewpoints of Revelation 20 and do not represent a matter of heresy versus orthodoxy. The hermeneutical inquiries to be resolved include how to interpret the language and imagery of Revelation, whether to interpret numbers as literal or figurative, and how to approach the relationship between the Old Testament and the New Testament. Exegetically, differences surface in how one views the relationship between Revelation 19 and 20, particularly regarding their chronological succession or recapitulation. Theologically, perspectives on the connection between Israel and the Church, the nature of prophecy, and the order of eschatological events play a role in shaping hermeneutical and exegetical decisions. These various perspectives, if nothing else, underscore the difficulty and complexity of interpreting Revelation 20 and related passages, emphasizing the necessity for humility when approaching the topic.
When studying Revelation and eschatology, it is all too easy to lose sight of Christ’s call in Revelation, urging believers to live victoriously as conquerors of sin, the world, and the devil, and to remain steadfast in their faith at all costs, as He will ultimately restore all things. Irrespective of the prevailing viewpoint on eschatology, it is imperative to bear in mind that Scripture consistently presents the doctrine of last things as a motivator for faithful living. Ultimately, as John Frame aptly underscores, “Seemingly, every Bible passage about the return of Christ is written for a practical purpose – not to help us develop a theory of history, but to motivate our obedience.”
Erick Chepkwony, TH.D 