Our Present Age

and how it will end

   

Chapter 22 - The False Doctrine of the Millennial Reign

When scrupulously examining the doctrine of a 1,000 year reign of Christ on Earth, it can be undoubtedly verified that it's origin has stemmed from the false misinterpretation of one single passage found in the book of Revelation.

Rev 20:1-4 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

First of all notice that nowhere in this passage does it state that Christ will be physically living and reigning on the Earth. I will be discussing 5 arguments as to why this doctrine cannot stand in the light of the teachings of the Bible.

Argument #1 – We are to look for new heavens and a new Earth

The Bible is very clear in 2 Peter 3 that when Christ returns, the heavens will pass away, and the Earth and everything in it will be destroyed by fire, and that the elements will melt with fervent heat and be dissolved.

2 Peter 3:10-13 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night, in which the heavens will pass away with a great noise, and the elements will melt with fervent heat; both the earth and the works that are in it will be burned up. Therefore, since all these things will be dissolved, what manner of persons ought you to be in holy conduct and godliness, looking for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be dissolved, being on fire, and the elements will melt with fervent heat? Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

To believe in a millennial reign on Earth after the events of 2 Peter 3 have occurred, one could teach that the millennial reign is going to occur after the new heavens and a new earth have been created, however, it would contradict the teachings of the Bible that nothing unclean can ever enter in there, and that it will be an everlasting kingdom. There is no way of fitting in the doctrine of a millennial reign somewhere around 2 Peter 3, which makes it clear that we are not to be looking forward to a millennial reign, but rather that we are to live our lives knowing that because the heavens will pass away, and the earth will melt and be dissolved, we are to look for new heavens and a new earth.

Argument #2 – Rev 20 is speaking about 2 categories of disembodied souls   

It is very clear that Revelation chapter 20 is speaking about the dead in Christ. In verse 4 John says that he saw “the souls of people who had been beheaded”, which in no way can be describing living persons.

Rev 20:4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

There is no way to argue that if John was seeing the souls of people who had been beheaded, that he was seeing people who were alive in their physical bodies, but rather, it is clear that he was seeing their disembodied souls. This is further supported by verse 5 which talks about “the rest of the dead” souls.

Revelation 20:5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.

Verses 4 and 5 are describing 2 categories of disembodied souls. The first category are those who died for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, and the souls have been resurrected to live with Christ in what verse 5 refers to as “the first resurrection”. The second category of souls are those who John refers to as, “the rest of the dead”, who will not be resurrected until the Last Day, when all those who are in the graves will hear the Lord’s voice and come forth, as spoken about in John 5.

John 5:28-29 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice and come forth--those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.

In Rev 20 we also read about this second category of souls who will be standing before God at the Great White Throne Judgment on Judgment Day. These dead will be “delivered up” from the dead, or in other words they will be resurrected from the dead, and they will then have to experience “the second death”.

Rev 20:11-15 Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Thanatos and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. Then Thanatos and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

2 Corinthians 5 tells us that when a believer in Christ dies, their soul continues to live and is “present with the Lord”; (which is the first resurrection).

2 Corinthians 5:6-9 So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. For we walk by faith, not by sight. We are confident, yes, and well pleased rather be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord. Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him.

Therefore, because we can say that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord, then we can also say that to be absent from the body is to live and reign with the Lord. 1 Corinthians 6 tells us that we will judge angels, and we all know that angels do not live on Earth in physical bodies, therefore we will judge angels in the heavenly dimensions because we will be reigning with Christ there.

1 Corinthians 6:3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels?

In Revelation Chapter 6, we see again the same scenario, where the souls of those who have died in Christ are seen crying out to the Lord.

Revelation 6:9-11 When He opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until you judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" Then a white robe was given to each of them; and it was said to them that they should rest a little while longer, until both the number of their fellow servants and their brethren, who would be killed as they were, was completed.

These are the same souls as those of Rev 20; they are under the altar of God (which is in a heavenly dimension), and they are absent from their bodies but are present with the Lord, and are there reigning with Christ until the resurrection of the Last Day when Christ will return with all his angels to Rapture his saints and give them their glorified bodies.

1 Corinthians 15:39-44 All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds. There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another. There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory. So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

1 Corinthians 16:50-54 Behold, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed-- in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.

Argument #3 – Satan is only loosed once, not twice

The third reason the false doctrine of a 1,000 year reign of Christ cannot stand is because the Bible will only support one loosing of Satan, not two. Rev 20 tells us that Satan is bound for a 1,000 years, and then released for a little while.

Rev 20:1-3 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while.

Rev 20:7-9 Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea. They went up on the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.

Most Christians would agree there is only going to be one final battle that will occur at the end of the final tribulation period, however, the doctrine of a millennial reign teaches that Satan must be released 2 times. Their doctrine teaches that Christ will Rapture his church and keep them in heaven during the 7 year tribulation period, and then He will return with all His saints to live and reign on the Earth for 1,000 years, after which Satan will be loosed again a second time. In order for this doctrine to stand, they need to teach there will be 2 final tribulation periods, which is not be supported by the Bible. Jesus clearly taught us that the final tribulation will be unlike any time on Earth since the beginning of the world, until the end.

Matthew 24:21-22 For then there will be great tribulation, such as has not been since the beginning of the world until this time, no, nor ever shall be. And unless those days were shortened, no flesh would be saved; but for the elect's sake those days will be shortened.

The Disciples, who were with Jesus when he spoke the words of Matthew 24 asked him, “What will be the signs of the end of the age?”

Matthew 24:3 Now as He sat on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, "Tell us, when will these things be? And what will be the sign of your coming, and of the end of the age?"

If the final tribulation period of Matthew 24 is to occur at the end of the age, then how can one insert a period of 1,000 years plus a second tribulation period into the equation? Now let us examine where the Bible teaches us that Satan is already currently bound up. In Mark 3, Jesus made the following statement.

Mark 3:27 No one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man, and then he will plunder his house.

Here Christ is teaching us that he had to first “bind up the strong man”, so that he could come into his house and plunder it. Before Christ came as the Messiah, Satan had unbridled power. When Christ died on the cross, he wounded the head of the serpent, and bound the strong man, in order to plunder his house and allow the New Testament Church to grow and flourish. 40 days after Christ arose from the dead, the Holy Spirit was poured out and thousands of souls began to convert over to Christianity as the disciples and others began to build up the New Testament Church. With the strong man bound, the Holy Spirit was then able to build up the Church without being impeded by Satan. The binding of Satan by the hand of the Holy Spirit, is one and the same as the hand of restraint spoken about in 2 Thessalonians 2 that will be removed when Satan is loosed.

2 Thessalonians 2:6-8 And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way; and then the lawless one will be revealed.

1,000 years here does not represent a literal number

 The binding of Satan for 1,000 years is not a literal 1,000 years. Everyone that I know without exception, understands that the 10 virgins of the parable of the 10 virgins do not literally represent 10 women, likewise also, the expression “1,000 years” of Rev 20 does not represent a literal number. The Bible often uses the expression of 1,000 to indicate a “great number”, or “many”, as in the following verses.

Job 9:3 If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him one of a thousand.

Psalms 50:10 For every beast of the forest is mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.

Ecclesiastes 7:28 ...one man among a thousand have I found; but a woman among all those, have I not found.

Song of Solomon 4:4  …whereon there hang a thousand bucklers, all shields of mighty men.

Daniel 5:1  Belshazzar the king made a great feast to a thousand of his lords, and drank wine before the thousand.

Daniel 7:10 ...thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him.

Deuteronomy 7:9  …which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that…keep his commandments to a thousand generations.

1 Chronicles 16:15  Be ye mindful always of his covenant; the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

Psalms 84:10 For a day in thy courts is better than a thousand.

Psalms 90:4 For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past.

Psalms 105:8  He has remembered his covenant forever, the word which he commanded to a thousand generations.

Ecclesiastes 6:6  Yea, though he live a thousand years twice told, yet has he seen no good: do not all go to one place?

Thus, we can understand why it would be necessary for God use the expression of “a thousand years” to put forth the concept of a long period of time, rather than giving us a precise number that would point us to a precise year. I believe most Christians would agree that God never intended that we should know precisely the year when New Testament Era was to end until the time when that knowledge was to be “unsealed”. Daniel prophesied that knowledge of end time events was to remain sealed until the time of the end, when knowledge shall be increased.

Daniel 12:4 But you, Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book until the time of the end; many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall increase.

Argument #4 – God's salvation plan ends with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and then Christ will set up His eternal kingdom

When we read about the seventh trumpet and the seventh bowl of wrath, we are told that “It is finished”.

Rev 10:7 but in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God would be finished, as He declared to His servants the prophets.

Rev 11:15 Then the seventh angel sounded: And there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"

Rev 16:17 Then the seventh angel poured out his bowl into the air, and a loud voice came out of the temple of heaven, from the throne, saying, "It is done!"

To believe that Satan would be loosed again after 1,000 years would invalidate the 3 passages above that tell us that God's salvation for mankind is finished at the sounding of the seventh trumpet, and that the kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ.  

Argument #5 – The kingdom of Christ is not of this world

Nowhere in this passage of Rev 20 does it say that Christ will rule upon the Earth. 

Rev 20:4  And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 

The passage of Rev 20 states that disembodied souls (those who have been beheaded) lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years, however, I have noticed that most people who refer to this passage will erroneously say that Christ is going to rule on the Earth for 1,000 years, which this passage clearly does not state! The real actual fact is that Rev 20 never refers to the "Earth" at all. Another real fact is that Christ clearly declares in John 18 that His kingdom is NOT of this world. Therefore, there is no way to reconcile Christ coming to rule on the Earth after He has already clearly taught us that His kingdom is NOT of this world.

John 18:36 Jesus answered, My kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from here. 

     

Argument #6 – Nowhere else in the Bible is the concept of 1,000 reign found

The Bible teaches repeatedly there will be one final tribulation period unlike any time in history, then one final battle, and one Day of the Lord when the sun will turn black and the moon will turn red as blood. We are also taught these events will occur at the end of the age when the heavens and the earth will pass away, after which Christ will set up an eternal kingdom with the creation of new heavens and a new earth. None of the end time prophets: not Daniel, nor Isaiah, nor Amos, not one of them ever taught of a millennial reign after the sun has darkened and the stars withdrawn their shining. You will, however, see that they all teach that when the sun has turned dark, it is time for Judgment Day and the destruction of all the wicked, after which God will set up His eternal kingdom. In fact, we are told there will no longer be a sun or moon in the New Jerusalem.

Rev 21:22-25 But I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. The city had no need of the sun or of the moon to shine in it, for the glory of God illuminated it. The Lamb is its light. And the nations of those who are saved shall walk in its light, and the kings of the earth bring their glory and honor into it. Its gates shall not be shut at all by day (there shall be no night there).

When the New Testament was written, the population of the world was only about 300 million people; would you not think that a doctrine that would potential impact 7 billion+ people that are currently living in the world have been mentioned by some of the major end time prophets like Isaiah, Joel, Amos, Micah, etc? Not even the Apostle Paul ever mentioned it once, and certainly the Lord himself never taught about it. Instead, we are taught that the elements will melt with fervent heat and the Earth will be burned up; the Bible teaches there is only one Day of the Lord, not two. I ask that you prayerfully consider this false doctrine and think on the words of Peter: “Nevertheless we, according to His promise, look for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 2 Peter 3:13