TWO VIEWS OF REVELATION – SIMPLIFIED

 In this short summary, I am trying to present only the most essential features of the two most prominent views of what theologians call the Millennium – the thousand-year reign of Christ. To keep it simple, I have not included all the details of the two views, only the major points.

 Historical Perspective

 From the very first publication of John’s Apocalypse, or The Book of Revelation, there have been two major views[i] of the book among good and godly Christians, focusing particularly on Chapter 20.

 Justin Martyr wrote in about AD 140 that many Christians were expecting a literal 1,000 year reign of Christ on the present earth based on Revelation 20:1-5.  But he acknowledged that some equally godly Christians saw the 1,000 year-reign of Christ as figurative of the church age, culminating in the return of Christ to judge the ungodly world and to bring in the new heavens and new Earth.

 Augustine of Hippo, the noted fifth-century theologian, at first held to the pre-millennial view, that is, that Christ would return and set up His millennial kingdom on earth. But the sack of Rome by the Visigoths in AD 410, and Christians’ reaction that this was a “sign” that the second coming of Christ was near and the Millennial Kingdom, with all it’s delights, was about to begin, caused Augustine to reexamine his view of Revelation 20 in a figurative way.

 In the centuries since Augustine’s publication of City of God, widely varying views of the end times and the 1,000 years of Revelation 20 have continued to emerge. The tendency to see “signs of the times” in current events is irresistible to some Christians and prophecy enthusiasts.

 It is regrettable that since the mid-1900's, only one interpretation of Revelation and “end times” doctrine in general has been accepted as “fundamental” truth by evangelical and fundamentalist denominations. Yet it has only been since the 20^th century that the pre-tribulational rapture of the church and other Dispensational details have been included in denominational statements of faith.

Two Views Simplified

 Dispensational Pre-Millennialism (as distinct from historical pre-millennialism)

·        Two distinct peoples of God with distinct destinies: national, ethnic Israel (God’s “earthly people”), and the Church (God’s “heavenly people”).

·        The Church Age as a “parenthesis” in God’s plan for ethnic Israel, the “70 weeks” of Daniel 9.

·        The Rapture of the Church before the seven-year Great Tribulation at which time God will return to dealing with ethnic Israel. Most of the Book of Revelation, according to this view, does not pertain to the church.

·        Two final battles, Armageddon (Revelation 19) and Gog and Magog (Revelation 20:7-10).

·        Physical, earthly reign of Christ from Jerusalem over His earthly people Israel for 1,000 years, during which time all the promises of the land covenant will be fulfilled. Christ’s heavenly people, the Church, will rule with Him. (Revelation 20:4)

·        Two resurrections: the resurrection of believers and the resurrection of unbelievers, separated by 1,000 years. (Rev. 20:4, 5; 1 Cor. 15:23). The “first resurrection” is divided into two events, the rapture of the Church and the resurrection of believers martyred during the Great Tribulation (Rev. 20:4-5).

·        After the Battle of Gog and Magog, God creates a new heaven and new earth, the old heaven and earth having been destroyed. (Rev. 21:1). Then the two peoples of God will be one in the eternal kingdom of the Father (1 Corinthians 15:28).

 

Basic Amillennialism

·        There is one true people of God, the spiritual Israel, those who worshiped God from the heart in Old Testament times, and were the faithful remnant awaiting the Messiah in the New Testament. Gentile believers are “grafted” into the Abrahamic promise, and thus Jew and Gentile become one people in Christ. (Romans 9:6; 11:17; Galatians 3:7-9)

·        The promises to Israel are fulfilled in Christ, who is presented in Scripture are the embodiment and culmination of Israel, God’s Servant. (Isaiah 42:1-3; 52:13-15; chap. 53. Compare also Hosea 11:1 and Matthew 2:15) Those who are “in Christ” by faith are heirs with Him of the promises. (Romans 8:17) The “land” promise will be fulfilled in a greater way on the new earth.

·        The visions in the Book of Revelation give differing views of the church age, focusing on different aspects and details. The end of that age is depicted in the “victory songs” in Rev. 5:9-14; 7:9-12; 11;15-17; 15:3-4; 19:1-6.

·        Revelation 20 again deals with the church age and the final battle is the same as the one at the end of Chapter 19. Chapter 19 and Chapter 20 both have allusions to the same battle in Ezekiel 38-39. (Compare Rev. 19:17-18 with Ezek. 39:17-20 and Rev. 20:8 with Ezek. 38:2) The 1,000 years are figurative of a very long period of time.  (See 2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 90:4)

 

Here are some Scriptures that influenced me to adopt the Amillennial view:

•               The entire book of Hebrews, showing clearly the foreshadowing in the Old    Testament of New Testament truth in types and figures.

·        “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13) Peter doesn’t say he was waiting for Christ’s kingdom on this earth.

·    And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end. But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.  (Mark 3:26-27) The word for bind it the same as in Rev. 20:2. (See also Matthew 12:29 and Luke 11:21-22)

 

For further study, I recommend:

Four Views on the Book of Revelation, C. Marvin Pate, ed.

Understanding Dispensationalists, Vern S. Poythress

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[i] A third view, Post-millennialism, also enjoyed a period of popularity in 18^th-century America and is held by some today, but the other two have been dominant.