When is the Millennial Reign? Revelation 20:1-10, Part 1.
The millennium is a hot but difficult topic. I don’t think anyone can claim absolute certainty for their interpretation of Revelation 20. I do not. Nevertheless, it consumes the interest and fascination of many who are looking to the future for hope and the destruction of evil.
Hope is available and the certainty of God’s new heaven and new earth are available to believers no matter what they believe about the millennium, and one’s view of the millennium is not a matter of the gospel and one’s personal salvation. Neither should it be a criterion for fellowship between people and congregations.
One reason this is so difficult is because it involves systems of thought that understand different biblical texts in different ways. These systems are typically: (1) historic premillennialism (Jesus will come again to establish his millennial reign on the earth), (2) dispensational premillennialism (Jesus will come again before the millennium but after the saints are raptured and do not experience a world-wide tribulation), (3) postmillennialism (Jesus will come again after the millennium), and (4) amillennialism (though does not deny the millennium but affirms the present age as the millennial reign of saints in heaven).
Another reason this is so difficult is the nature of the book of Revelation itself, which is the only place that specifies a millennial reign or thousand-year reign. Revelation raises all kinds of hermeneutical questions and issues ranging from its structure to its symbolism. What complicates this is that Revelation is a series of visions with multiple scenes.
One difficult question regarding these visions and scenes is how they relate to each other. Are they in chronological sequence (as most dispensational premillennialists would affirm) or do the visions and scenes often recapitulate each other (that is, they say essentially the same thing but from a difficult angle or vantage point, and sometimes with greater intensity)? How one understands the structure of Revelation, then, significantly impacts how one understands when the millennium occurs.
In my series of articles, I have argued for recapitulation, and I want to reaffirm that here as a way of introducing the question of when does the millennium occur.
John is said to be “in the Spirit” four times (1:10; 4:2; 17:3; 21:10). This is a structural key for reading the unfolding story in Revelation. These sections are flanked by an introduction (1:1-8) and epilogue (22:7-21) to the book as a whole.
| Vision 1 | Vision 2 | Vision 3 | Vision 4 | |
| “in the Spirit” | Rev 1:10 | Rev 4:2 | Rev 17:3 | Rev 21:10 |
| The Visions | Rev 1:9-3:22 | Rev 4:1-16:21 | Rev 17:1-21:8 | Rev 21:9-22:6 |
| John’s Locale | Isle of Patmos | Heaven | Earth | New Creation |
| Perspective | Lord’s Day | Throne room | Wilderness | High Mountain |
| Theme | The Kingdom Begun: Jesus Has Overcome | The Kingdom Comes: The Heavenly Angle | The Kingdom Comes: The Earthly Angle | The Kingdom Fully Realized in the New Creation |
| Point | Addresses specific concerns connected to the 7 churches of Asia Minor and calls for their commitment to the kingdom of God | God acts in justice against the kingdoms of the earth as the seven seals are opened, the trumpets are sounded, and the bowls are poured out. | The sins and destruction of the kingdoms of the earth are described, and the kingdom of God rejoices and reigns despite the attacks of the harlot and beast. | The new heaven and new earth are opened for those who have overcome and defeated the powers through the testimony of their lives. |
Recapitulation in Vision 2 (Revelation 4-16)
After the opening scene that pictures the heavenly throne room where the one who sits on the throne and the Lamb are worshipped (Revelation 4-5), the judgment of the kingdoms of this world and the inhabitants of the earth (or, earth-dwellers, that is, those who do not follow the Lamb) begins. They worshipped the beast empowered by the dragon. Judgment unfolds through a series of sevens:
- seven seals (Revelation 6:1-8:5),
- seven trumpets (Revelation 8:6-11:19), [seven thunders are not unsealed, 10:1-4],
- seven bowls of wrath (Revelation 15:1-16:21).
What is missing in the above scenario is Revelation 12-14. These chapters identify the seven participants in the drama of Revelation. It functions like a pause in the action to identify the contestants in the struggle between God and Satan. They are (1) the woman (Israel, Mary, the Church), (2) the male child (the Lamb), (3) the dragon (Satan, serpent), (4) the angel Michael, (5) the beast from the sea, (6) the beast from the earth, and (7) the 144,000 followers of the Lamb on the earth (the children of the woman). The pause in chapters 12-14 provides the backstory for the struggle between the kingdoms of this world and the kingdom of God and the Messiah.
| Seals (6:1-8:5) | Trumpets (8:6-11:19) | Pause (12:1-14:20) | Bowls (15:1-16:21 |
| Judgment | Judgment | The Backstory | Judgment |
The pause in the drama found in Revelation 12-14 recapitulates the pause in the structure of each of the seven seals, trumpets, and bowls. The pattern of each of the sevens is this:
| 7 Seals (Rev 6:1-8:5) | 7 Trumpets (Rev 8:6-11:19) | 7 Bowls (Rev 15:1-16:21) |
| Four Seals (6:1-8) | Four Trumpets (8:7-13) | Pause (15:1-8) |
| Two Seals (6:9-12) | Two Trumpets (9:1-21) | Four Bowls (16:1-16:9) |
| Pause (7:1-17) | Pause (10:1-11:14) | Two Bowls (16:10-16) |
| Last Seal (8:1-5) | Last Trumpet (11:15-19) | Last Bowl (16:17-21) |
The pause of Revelation 12-14 is like the pauses in each of the unfolding of the seals, trumpets, and bowls. These dramatic pauses identify the players and emphasize the protection and destiny of the followers of the Lamb, that is, those who do not worship the dragon through his beasts. The pauses provide pictures of God’s care for the faithful witnesses to the Lamb.
The last seal, the last trumpet, and the last bowl each describe the same reality. The movement from the seals to the trumpets to the bowls intensifies and provides different angles on the drama as it recapitulates the dramatic moment that climaxes each seven. The trumpets recapitulate the seals though intensifying its action, and the bowls recapitulate the trumpets though intensifying its action. The final act in each sequence is the final day of God’s wrath against those who oppose the kingdom of God and worship the beast.
| 7 Seals (Rev 6:1-8:5) | 7 Trumpets (Rev 8:6-11:19) | 7 Bowls (Rev 15:1-16:21) |
| Affect 1/3 of the earth (6:8) | Affect 1/4 of the earth (8:12) | Affect all the earth (16:14) |
| 144,000 are sealed with God’s mark (7:4) | 24 elders worship God (11:16-18) | Saints are before God with harps in their hands (15:2) |
| “day of wrath has come” (6:17) | “your wrath has come” (11:18) | “the fury of his wrath” (16:19; cf. 15:1) |
The day of wrath, identified as Harmagedon (or Armagedon) in 16:16, is the final defeat of the dragon and its allies (the beasts and the “inhabitants of the earth”). The seven seals, the seven trumpets, and the seven bowls each end with a description of this defeat. These are not three different days of wrath but varied descriptions of the final day of wrath.
Consequently, the seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls do not describe a series of linear and chronologically sequenced events within history. Rather, they dramatically tell the story of the conflict between the kingdoms of the earth and the kingdom of God. This is not linear history but a cyclical description.
That conflict for the seven churches of Asia who are addressed in chapters 2-3 is experienced in the conflict between Rome and the Church. The symbolism identifies Rome as a protagonist, but Rome does not exhaust the symbolism. Rather, the struggle between the dragon and the kingdom of God continues in other and subsequent contexts throughout history. The seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls are talking about the same thing: the perpetual conflict between God and the Dragon between the first and second comings of Christ that ultimately ends in the defeat of the enemies of God.
Satan gathers the nations for battle (πόλεμον) against the people (12:17; 13:7). The battle is identified in three places. It is the same battle because it is recapitulated in chapters 16, 19, & 20.
| The Sixth Bowl (16:14) | The Word of God (19:19) | After the Millennium (20:8) |
| συναγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον | συνηγμένα ποιῆσαι τὸν πόλεμον | συναγαγεῖν αὐτοὺς εἰς τὸν πόλεμον |
| To gather them for the battle | gathered to do the battle | To gather them for the battle |
Recognizing this recapitulation helps identify when the millennium (the 1000-year reign) happens. If the battle of the sixth bowl in chapter 16, the coming of the Word in chapter 19, and the action of Satan in 20:8 are the same, then the millennial reign occurs before the final battle at the second coming of Jesus. In other words, the future is not premillennial but rather the millennium is now—the time between the first and second coming of Jesus.
However, before embracing that conclusion, we must look closely at the third vision.
Vision 3 (Revelation 17:1-21:8)
Scene 1 (17:1-18): An unholy woman, Babylon, rides the beast, the servant of the dragon.
- “I saw a woman sitting on a scarlet beast” (17:3).
- “I saw that the woman was drunk with the blood of the saints” (17:6).
Scene 2 (18:1-19:10): Merchants lament the fall of the woman, Babylon and heaven rejoices.
- “After this I saw another angel coming down, having great authority” (18:1).
Scene 3 (19:11-21): The Word of God defeats the woman, Babylon, and the beast.
- “And I saw heaven opened, and there was a white horse!” (19:11).
- The rider is the Word of God whose robe is dipped in blood (19:13). The armies of heaven accompany the rider (19:14). The sword of his mouth will “strike down the nations” (19:15).
- The rider is the “King of kings and Lord of lords” (19:16).
- “And I saw an angel standing in the sun” (19:17).
- Invitation to gather for the “great supper of God” (19:17-18).
- “And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth gathered to make war” (19:19).
- The beast and the kings of the earth gather for the battle (19:19). The beast and false prophet are thrown into the lake of fire (19:20).
- The remainder of the inhabitants of the earth are killed (19:21).
Scene 4 (20:1-10): Binding, Imprisonment, and Release of Satan.
- “And I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key” (20:1).
- Satan is bound and thrown into a pit (20:2). Satan is bound so he can no longer deceive the nations (20:2).
- After the millennium, Satan “must be released for a little while” (20:3).
- “And I saw thrones, and those seated on them were given authority to judge” (20:4).
- The seated souls are those who have not worshiped the beast (20:4). “They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years” (20:5).“ Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection” (20:6). After the millennium, Satan is released and goes out to deceive the nations (20:7). Satan gathers the nations to make war on the holy city (20:8-9). Fire consumes Satan’s army, Gog and Magog (20:9).
- Satan is thrown into the lake of fire with the beast and false prophet (20:10).
Scene 5 (20:11-21:8)
- “And I saw a great white throne” (20:11)
- The dead from the sea and Hades are judged (20:12-13)
- Those not found in the book of life are thrown into the lake of fire (20:15).
- “And I saw a new heaven and new earth” (21:1).
- There is no more sea, death, pain—the old has passed away (21:1, 4)
- The dwelling of God is with humanity (21:3).
- God says, “I am making all things new” (21:5).
- Those who overcome will inherit all these things (21:7).
- But the rest will experience the second death (21:8).
The Key Question for Interpretation: When is the Millennium?
[In addition to the link above, see Gregory Beale’s works on Revelation, especially Revelation: A Shorter Commentary, Shane J. Wood, Thinning the Veil, Sam Storms, Kingdom Come, R. Flower White (here and here), or Meredith Kline on Armagedon for more detailed discussion.]
Is Scene 4 a recapitulation of Scenes 1-3, or does Scene 4 chronologically follow Scene 3? Is the millennium after the second coming of Jesus (premillennial), or is it simultaneous with the time between the two comings of Christ (the millennium is now)? Another view suggests Scene 4 comes after Scene 3 and thinks Scene 3 is an event that defeats evil and inaugurates a golden age of Christian rule over the world (postmillennial). I think recapitulation is the best option.
- “And I saw” is not itself a matter of chronology but may only describe what John saw next as in the next vision he had without any intention to identify the chronological sequence of the visions. “Then I saw” is an interpretive translation as the word is simply the Greek word for “and” (καὶ) instead of the Greek word for “then” (τότε).
- Why are there “nations” to be deceived in Scene 4 (20:3) if they (“the rest of them were killed,” 19:21) have been destroyed in Scene 3? The nations are involved in the final battle in chapter 19:15 – “a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations.” This indicates that the millennium is contemporaneous with Scenes 1-3 where the nations are destroyed at the end of Scene 3 (as well as destroyed at the end of the seventh bowl in 16:17 where it is declared: “it is done!”). If the nations are killed, destroyed, or defeated, how can there still be nations in 20:3?
- The picture of the beheaded souls on the thrones is like the pauses in Revelation 7 (seals), 11 (trumpets), and 15 (bowls) that describe the true reality of faithful saints. They are protected and reigning with Christ in heaven.
- Recapitulation is how the story has unfolded in the book. For example, the pause in Revelation 12-14 begins with the birth of Jesus rather than as a matter of chronological sequence from chapter 11 to chapter 12, and Vision 2 is filled with recapitulation (seven seals, seven trumpets, and seven bowls). Recapitulation is a common literary device (e.g., Genesis 2 recapitulates Genesis 1, or Daniel 7 recapitulates Daniel 2).
- Revelation 20:1-3 parallels Revelation 12:7-10.
| Revelation 20 | Revelation 12 |
| I saw an angel coming down, holding in his hand a key to the bottomless pit and a great chain (20:1). | Michael and his angels fought against the dragon (12:7). |
| dragon, ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan (20:2). | The great dragon . . . that ancient serpent, who is called the devil and Satan (12:9). |
| Satan deceives the nations (20:3). | Satan is one who “deceives the whole world” (12:9). |
| The angel seized the dragon, bound him, and threw him into the pit (20:2-3). | The great dragon was thrown down to the earth (12:9). |
| Satan is bound so that he might not deceive the nations (20:3), that is, he could not destroy the people of God. | So, when the dragon saw that he had been thrown down to the earth, he pursued the woman who had given birth to the male child whom he could not defeat (12:13). The dragon then made war on those who kept the children of the woman but could not defeat the woman herself (12:17) |
6. What is the binding of Satan? The parallel with Revelation 12 suggests it is the Christ Event (incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and enthronement) that binds Satan. He is no longer present in heaven but is limited to the earth (the realm of earth-dwellers). But even on the earth, his power is limited, that is, he cannot destroy the woman (the people of God), though he can martyr and persecute her children. He cannot win the battle even though he gathers the nations for it. At the same time, this is a real sticking point for thinking that this millennial reign is the present time since Satan is certainly active. In the next post, I’ll say more about this.
7. The millennium will end, and it is only after the millennium ends that Satan is released. Satan is not released at the end of the millennium but when the millennium is over. In other words, the millennium does not end with a great battle but Satan is released only after the millennium is finished.
8. The battles in Revelation 16, 19, and 20 are all the same battle, and this is confirmed by the use of Gog and Magog imagery from Ezekiel 38-39 in all three episodes (actually named in chapter 20). See Kline’s article for a detailed exploration of this point.
Therefore, the millennium occurs during the period of time between the first and second coming of Jesus.