What is the Millennium?
From Hayford’s
Bible Handbook (page 703, 704) the definition of Millennium
is:
The Millennium the thousand-year period mentioned in
connection with the description of Christ’s coming to reign with
His saints over the earth (Revelation 19:11-16; 20:1-9). Many Old
Testament passages refer to the Millennium (Isaiah 11:4; Jeremiah
3:17; Zechariah 14:9).
These and many other Old Testament passages are often taken to
refer only to the thousand-year period itself. However, it is often
difficult in these passages to see a clear dividing line between
the earthly period of the millennium and the eternal state of new
heavens and earth. Therefore, it is best to let one’s teaching about
the Millennium be drawn specifically from the words in Revelation
20. The other great promises to Israel, while they have a temporary
fulfillment in the thousand years, still await the fullness of the
new heavens and new earth and the unhindered presence of Israel’s
king and the church’s husband Jesus Christ our Lord.
During that thousand-year period, Satan will be bound in the bottomless
pit so he will not deceive the nations until his short period of
release (Revelation 20:3, 7-8). The faithful martyrs who have died
for the cause of Christ will be resurrected before the Millennium.
They will rule with Christ and will be priests of God and Christ
(Revelation 5:10; 20:4). The unbelieving dead will wait for the
second resurrection (Revelation 20:5). After the thousand years,
Satan will be released and will resume his work of deceit (Revelation
20:7-8).
The most important aspect of the Millennium is the reign of Christ.
Peter taught that Christ now rules from the right hand of God (Acts
2:33-36). That rule will last until His enemies are made His footstool
(Psalm 110:1). The apostle Paul also understood Christ to be presently
reigning in a period designed to bring all of God’s enemies underfoot
(I Corinthians 15:25-27). Thus the impact of Christ’s present rule
over the earth from God’s right hand must not be seen as unrelated
to His future reign during the Millennium.
The Millennium is viewed by interpreters in several different ways.
One position holds that the Millennium only refers to Christ’s spiritual
rule today from heaven. This symbolic view is known as the amillennial
interpretation. Another position views Christ’s spiritual rule as
working through preaching and teaching to bring gradual world improvement
leading up to Christ’s return. This is the post-millennial view.
The position that holds to an actual thousand-year period in the
future is known as the premillennial view. This interpretation does
not diminish the power of Christ’s present rule from heaven or limit
that rule to the church only. That position sees the need for a
thousand-year place in history for an earthly fulfillment of Israel’s
promises of land and blessing. It stresses that the one thousand
years in Revelation 20 are actual years and are not symbolic.
Resources:
Tape #804 "Beginning
to Reign"
Tape #813 "Abraham’s
Kids and God’s Brats"
|
Jack
Hayford Ministries
14800 Sherman Way, Van Nuys, CA 91405-2233