Comforting as the return of the Lord Jesus Christ is for the believer, it is not a subject regarding which all believers agree. The disagreement is over what is normally called the Millennium. Since this millennium is central in understanding the scheme of things, we must now turn our attention to it.

The Word, Itself⤒🔗

The word millennium is composed of two Latin words mille and annus, meaning literally thousand years. The term, itself, is not found in Scripture but it has become the name for the thousand years which we read about in Revelation 20.

In only two other passages besides Revelation 20 do we read of a thousand years, Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8. The principle taught in Psalm 90 is ap­plied in 2 Peter. The principle is that God does not measure time as we do; nor is the Creator of time subject to it. The application of this is found in a passage dealing with the return of Christ. Peter's argument here is substantially this: False teachers have argued that since Christ has not yet come — and it has been a long time since He departed — He is not coming again. Undoubtedly these words have brought great grief to you, and I want you to know — FORGET NOT (i.e. don't let this escape you) that a thousand years are as a day to the Lord, and a day as a thousand years. God is not bound by time. It may seem a long time, even interminable. However, God is longsuffering — Christ will not return until every one of the elect has come to repentance. It only seems as if God has forgotten His promise. In reality, He has not forgotten it at all.

Now, obviously, this use of the thousand years has nothing to do with a period of time as is expressed in Revelation 20. Thus, the only place where we read of the thousand years in relation to the events of Christ's return is found in Revelation 20.

Because there are different ways of understan­ding the millennium, perhaps a general definition of it is in order.

The millennium is the period of time represented by the thousand years of Revelation 20, which is supposed to be characterized by a special prosperity and happiness for the church either on earth or in heaven, or both.

This definition is general enough so that what are usually called postmillennialists, premillennialists, dispensationalists and amillennialists can find them­selves in it. Each one of these has a somewhat differ­ent scheme of the events connected with Christ's re­turn. Each of these views will be sketched for you. However, it ought to be remembered that within each of these basic positions there are variations, too. Obviously, to explain each position means that we cannot possibly look at all the variations. At­tempting that would become too lengthy and quite confusing.

Certainly, we have a responsibility to take a posi­tion on the return of Christ, and we therefore must say that one understanding of the millennium is cor­rect and the others are in error. This does not mean, however, that evangelicals who hold to other under­standings of the millennium are outside of the Christian fold. Evangelicals, though they differ on the details, still believe the basic truths of the Christian Faith. With us, they believe that the Bible is God's Word and therefore authoritative. Differences arise because of the distinctive methods used to interpret what God says. With us, they believe that the penal, substitutionary atonement of Christ fully satisfies for sin. With us, they believe that there will be a future, visible, personal coming of Jesus Christ. With us, they believe that each person who has ever lived will be given a resurrection body — some unto glory, some unto contempt — and will stand before the judgment seat of Christ. With us, they believe that those who are righteous in Christ will enjoy eternity with Him but those without that righteous­ness will know eternal condemnation in hell.

Postmillennialism←⤒🔗

The first view of the millennium at which we look is called POSTMILLENNIALISM.

Simply put it is the idea that Christ will come after (post) the millennium. Loraine Boettner writes that,

Postmillennialism is that view of the last things which holds that the Kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit, that the world eventually will be Christianized, and that the return of Christ will occur at the close of a long period of right­eousness and peace commonly called the Millennium. The Millennium, p. 4

It must be said, of course, that there is a humanis­tic, evolutionary, so-called, postmillennialism. This teaches that the world is getting better by natural process. Improved and reformed social institutions and culture will bring about the Kingdom of God. But for those who so believe there is no need nor room for the Gospel of Grace. From this view all evangelicals distance themselves, understandably. However, what is sometimes forgotten is that there is also an evangelical postmillennialism present today.

Recent able presentations of this stance have been given by Loraine Boettner in his The Millennium and in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views (edited by Robert Clouse), by Rousas J. Rush­doony in his very strongly worded God's Plan for Victory and by Professor Norman Shepherd. Histor­ically some rather able theologians have advocated this view of Christ's return: the Presbyterian B. B. Warfield, W. G. T. Shedd, R. Dabney and the Prince­ton Hodges; the Baptist A. H. Strong; and J. Marcel­lus Kik of the Reformed Church in America in his Revelation 20 and Matthew 24, now published together as The Eschatology of Victory.

What precisely is the postmillennial scheme of things?

Presently, they say, we are in the age of the preaching of the Gospel, as Christ commanded (Matthew 28:19). Gradually and imperceptibly this age will move into the Millennium, which will be a golden age of progress. And so Boettner writes:

Trying to pinpoint the date on which the Millennium begins is like trying to distinguish the day or year when Medieval history ended and Modern history began ... The coming of the Millennium is like the coming of the summer, although ever so much more slowly and on a much grander scale. In the struggle between the seasons there are many advances and many apparent setbacks. Time and again the first harbingers of spring appear, only to be overcome by the winter winds. It often seems that the struggle has been lost and that the cold of winter will never be broken. But gradually the moderate spring breezes take over, and after a time we find ourselves in the glorious summer season. The Millennium, p. 58

This merging of the two ages will take place as the world's population is converted. But this Golden Age will not be completely perfect. However: "Sin ... will be reduced to a minimum as the moral and spiritual environment of the earth becomes predominantly Christian" (Boettner in R. G. Clouse, The Meaning of the Millennium, 120f.). During the Millennium the effect of the Gospel in the lives of believers will grow in intensity. Christianity will be triumphant over the world. Thus, Boettner writes that the Millennium will mean;

the elimination of the great majority of the evil influences that still are so prominent throughout the world, and a correspondingly higher moral and spiritual tone in the lives of the people. Thus, figuratively, the wolf and the lamb shall lie down together — things formerly antagonistic and hateful to each other will work together in one harmonious purpose ... moral and spiritual conditions are improved.The Millennium, p. 56

Since the Millennium begins, according to Revela­tion 20, with the binding of Satan, we are not to think of that binding as one that entirely limits his power.

Just exactly when does this "binding of Satan" take place? Some postmils connect it with Christ's work; others say it is yet in the future. For all postmils the thousand years are symbolic, not to be taken literally.

As to the end of the Millennium, Boettner admits some difficulty understanding Revelation 20:3, 7-10. However, he admits that possibly "a limited mani­festation of evil" will come just before the end to show clearly how terrible sin is and that God will, in­deed, punish sin. This might be necessary especially for those who have lived during the brightest and most glowing portion of the Millennium and who would thus find it very difficult to believe that Satan is really so bad. "That he is able to gain some follow­ers should not be thought strange, for even during the Millennium there remain some who are not Christians" (Boettner, The Millennium, p. 69).

Then Christ shall come.

Summarizing all of this R. J. Rushdoony writes:

The postmillennial view, while seeing rises and falls in history, sees it moving to the triumph of the people of Christ, the church triumphant from pole to pole, the government of the whole world by the law of God, and then, after a long and glorious reign of peace, the Second Coming and the end of the world.God's Plan for Vic­tory, p. 14

Evaluation←⤒🔗

In some ways, this understanding of the Millen­nium sounds good. This is the Gospel Age and it is our obligation to serve the Lord confidently during this age because His is the victory. Nevertheless, there are real problems with this view.

• First, the Bible does not indicate that there will be an overpowering development of good during the age preceding Christ's return. Nor does the Bible teach that the world will be Christianized before the end comes. There will be apostasy; there will be trib­ulation. Dr. A. Hoekema reminds us that,

In the Parable of the Tares (or Weeds) found in Matthew 13:36-43 Jesus taught that evil people will continue to exist alongside of God's re­deemed people until the time of harvest. The clear implication of this parable is that Satan's Kingdom, if we may call it that, will continue to exist and grow as long as God's kingdom grows, until Christ comes again.The Bible and the Future, p. 180

• Second, with this understanding of the Millen­nium there is no need for the tremendous change to the world taught in 2 Peter 3:10-13. Though there would still be a small element of sin left in the world, things will have improved so much that there will be little need for a radical cleansing.
   
• Third, it does not adequately deal with Matthew 24 and 2 Thessalonians 2. These passages cannot be understood as referring only to the past. There will be a falling away immediately before the return of Jesus Christ. Matthew 24:21 and 29 along with 2 Thessalonians 2:2 and 3 make this rather clear.
   
• Fourth, postmillennialism has a problem with all of the aspects of this period as revealed in Revelation 20:1-6. For instance, are the two events taught here simultaneous or successive? Some postmils will adopt some of the amillennialists' understandings in order to solve their difficulties. Others will come up with very novel ways of understanding the chapter.

Indeed, no millennial view is free from problems, but this one, in spite of its outstanding advocates, certainly does not satisfy.

Premillennialism — Its Definition←⤒🔗

The second way of understanding the millennium is called PREMILLENNIALISM, that is, the belief that Christ will return before (pre) the millennium. In considering premillennialism, however, we must realize that what is popularly called that today is really a very different thing. It is Dispensationalism. This will be considered later because it is character­ized by an entirely different approach to Scripture. Usually, today, when churches advertise that they are premillennial, they mean dispensational.

What we are concerned with now is what might be called historic premillennialism. According to JG Vos,

Premillennialism is that view of the last things which holds that the second coming of Christ will be followed by a period of world-wide peace and righteousness, before the end of the world, called "the Millennium" or "the Kingdom of God," during which Christ will reign as King in person on this earth.

Its History←⤒🔗

This view has a long history in the church. Dr. DH Kromminga outlined this history, along with that of the other millennial views, in his The Millennium in the Church (1945). Of course, in the earliest years of the New Testament church premillennialism was not as developed as it is today. The Church Fathers: Irenaeus (115 to 142-200?), Justin Martyr (100?-165?) and Tertullian (160?-230?) all held to this view. Origi­nally, it was simply a reflection on the six days of creation and the seventh day of rest. The six days of creation represented the history of the world before the coming of Jesus Christ a second time. The sev­enth day represented the Millennial reign of Christ after His return. This reign, either in person or through His saints was to be a literal one thousand years. At the close of the millennial sabbath the final judgment was to take place and the new creation would be here.

Peter Toon in his essay "Puritan Eschatology: 1600 to 1648," in The Manifold Grace of God: Papers read at the Puritan and Reformed Studies Confer­ence, 1968, reminds us that:

at the Council of Ephesus in 431 belief in a liter­al millennium was condemned as superstition. The reason for this apparent reversal of belief was the powerful influence of the great Augus­tine of Hippo, whose explanation of Revelation xx may be found in Book XX of the City of God. (p. 49)

In spite of the condemnation made at Ephesus, and in spite of Augustine's Amillennialism, a literalism lived on. In the days of the Reformation some believed in a literal one thousand year rule of Christ. Thus, Calvin would write: "Now to assign to Christ a thousand years, so that he would afterward cease to reign, were too horrible to be made mention of" (Com­mentary on 1 Thessalonians 4:17; cf. Institutes, Bk. III. xxv, 5). This literalism lived on among the Puritans, although usually they were literalists of the Postmil­lennial school. And it lives on today. No longer, as we have seen, are postmils literalists about the thousand years. Premils usually are, however.

The last fifty years have given us The Approach­ing Advent of Christ by Alexander Reese and The Second Coming of Christ by Henry Frost — both ex­planations of historic Premillennialism. In even more recent years, George Eldon Ladd of Fuller Seminary has given us some very perceptive works from the same viewpoint: Crucial Questions About the Kingdom of God, A Commentary on the Revela­tion of John, The Blessed Hope, and his essay in The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views edited by Robert G. Clouse, among others. Also, there is the recent Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy by J. Bar­ton Payne.

Its General View of Christ's Return←⤒🔗

Although, as we have already indicated, there are differences among premils as to the various details, we can outline their general understanding of the return of Christ as follows:

The present age in which we live is preparatory for the Millennial Kingdom which is yet to come. During this present age what are generally called "the Signs of the Times" take place. Apostasy, wars, famines, earthquakes and false Christs as predicted in Matthew 24 take place. During this time, the evangelizing of the nations will have fully taken place. Then the Anti-Christ will arise. He will head up the rebellion against God and the resulting tribu­lation for the church will follow. How long this tribu­lation will be is not agreed upon. The premil scholar Henry Alford indicates that it will be short (Matthew 24:22). Others see it lasting anywhere from three and a half days to seventy-five years.

Suddenly, Christ will appear in order to reign. This is the coming taught in Revelation 19:11-16. At this appearance the "first resurrection" will take place. This will be the resurrection of dead Old and New Testament believers, including all believers who have ever died. At the same time the living believers will be transfigured and, along with those of the "first resurrection," will be caught up, or rap­tured, to meet Christ in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16, 17). At the same time Israel looks at the Messiah and is saved. (They use Isaiah 8:17 and 59:20, among other texts, to prove this.) Thus, "all Israel shall be saved" (Romans 11:26). J. Barton Payne concedes, however, that this may not include every individual Jew (En­cyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy, p. 655).

Almost immediately after this meeting in the air Christ and His Bride, the church, will come to earth for the Millennial Reign (Revelation 19:14). The Millennium will be a reality. The church, both Gentile and Jew (for there is only one church or people of God), will reign with Him. At this moment the Battle of Arma­geddon will take place (Revelation 19:19-21; 16:16). This will bring the destruction of the Anti-Christ.

Then the Millennial King, Jesus Christ, will sepa­rate the righteous from the unrighteous and hold the unrighteous in His control as He rules with a "rod of iron" — a term which symbolizes to them a forceful, stern and effective rule over these rebel­lious people (Revelation 2:27; 12:5; 19:15). Many believe that this rule will be from the Millennial capital, Jerusalem.

This Millennium will last a literal one thousand years, although G.E Ladd allows for it to be symbolic of "a real period of time, however long or short it may be" (A Commentary on the Revelation of John, p. 262). During this period which follows Christ's coming, Satan is bound. This does not mean that his powers are "nullified," it does not mean "complete immobility." It is a "way of describing a curbing of his power and inactivity" (Ladd, Revelation, p. 262). Thus, this millennial period will be a ful­fillment of what was promised in Isaiah 11: a period marked by a glorious peace. However,

The millennium is not to be confused with the final state, for sin and death still exist. Evil, however, will be greatly restrained, and right­eousness will prevail on earth as it never did before. This is to be a time of social, political, and economic justice, and of great peace and prosperity. Even nature will reflect the bless­edness of this age, since the earth will be unusually productive and the desert will blossom as the rose. A. Hoekema, The Bible and the Future, p. 181

Incidentally, J. Barton Payne in his Encyclopedia of Biblical Prophecy (p.656) indicates that those not in resurrection bodies "will enjoy supernatural life spans" and he points to Isaiah 63:20-23 to substan­tiate this. Further, it will be a time characterized by the healing of infirmities and freedom from disease (Exodus 23:25b, Isaiah 35:5, 6a) and also the absence of bar­renness or miscarriages (Exodus 23:26 a, Isaiah 9:3). Thus, it will be a time when the race is multiplied. Also, there will be a rebuilding of the temple and a re­instituting of its sacrifices in Jerusalem (pp. 657, 286). These will be "a symbol of Christ's presence" but the sacrifices "will have no relation to the ques­tion of expiation" since they "will be memorial in character" (p. 286).

At the end of the millennium Satan will be loosed (Revelation. 20:7). Once again able to deceive the nations, he gathers them to war against the church. But fire from heaven devours the devil and all his followers and he is "cast into the lake of fire" (v. 10).

Then comes a second resurrection — the resur­rection of the wicked dead (Revelation 20:5). This is fol­lowed by the Judgment.

This premillennial understanding, according to Ladd, "is the most natural reading of Revelation 20" (Clouse, ed., The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, p. 18). He sees Revelation 19 and 20 as a unit. He does not see Revelation 20 as a new set of thoughts nor a summary of the rest of the book.

Its Commendable Aspects←⤒🔗

Again, there are some commendable aspects to this view of the Millennium. Although it does emphasize the Jews, this emphasis does not usually focus on two separate groups: the church and the Jews. Besides, there is no attempt to place the signs of the times as a future phenomenon nor as some­thing already having taken place. They take place at the present time. Further, there is only one coming, as opposed to the teaching that Jesus will return several times. Also, and Ladd has strongly empha­sized this, the Kingdom of God is not only a future experience. It is right now, too.

Objections to Premillennialism←⤒🔗

However, there are problems with historic pre­millennialism.

For instance, in the Millennium, what will be the relation of the resurrected, transfigured saints who will be present, to the unrepentant, untrans­figured peoples who will also be present? It appears that glorified, resurrected saints will have to exist in the midst of sin and death for the Millennium. This will be quite a change for those who have been resurrected, since they will have come from the blissful perfection of the intermediate state to a world of sin!

Another basic objection concerns the two resur­rections: one of the righteous, another of the wicked, both separated by the Millennium. The Gospel Ac­cording to John 5:28, 29 states very plainly that there will be one general resurrection. By no stretch of the imagination can this text be tortured to mean that there is one resurrection in two parts, separated by a long period of time. Nor can it be made to mean that there are to be two resurrections. Never is the word resurrection used in the plural in the Bible.

Also, premillennialism speaks of Christ's Mil­lennial rule as the "rod of iron rule." By this is meant a stern, forceful and effective rule of Christ over His rebellious enemies who are present on earth during the Millennium. By this He maintains peace. The term comes from Revelation 2:17, 12:5, 19:15 and is also found in Psalm 2:9. But the word for "rule" can also be translated "shepherd" or "feed." "Feed" is the common translation in the New Testament (Matthew 2:6, Luke 17:7, John 21:6, Acts 20:28, 1 Corinthians 9:7, 1 Peter 5:2, Jude 12, Revelation 7:17). In other words, this "rod of iron" rule is connected with caring for His flock, His own. It is protective in nature and results in the destruction of the enemies of His people, rather than in a mere maintaining of order during a Millen­nium. Floyd Hamilton tells us that Christ acts:

toward the nations as a shepherd would act toward wild animals attacking the sheep! How would a shepherd act toward enemies of the sheep? Certainly by using his rod to dash them to pieces if he could do so ... That is, the Messiah, to protect His flock, the true people of God, from their enemies, will execute ven­geance on the unbelieving nations who have been persecuting God's people ... In other words we have a picture of terrible judgment visited on the wicked nations who have been troubling the Christian saints...The Basis of Millennial Faith, pp. 89, 90

Finally, the idea of an age between the Second Coming and the New Heavens and Earth is not really found in Scripture. Revelation 20 does not say enough to warrant building a whole theory of the Millennium upon it. For instance, it says nothing about believers who were living at the time of the return, if you follow the premil method of interpre­tation. Neither does 1 Corinthians 15:23, 24 speak clearly of a Millennium, as some want to say that it does. Further, Scripture indicates very clearly that the Second Coming of Jesus means that Judgment is here — not a thousand years away (see Matthew  25:31, Acts 3:19-21, 1 Corinthians 4:5, 2 Peter 3:10-13).