What is Eschatology?
Eschatology in relation to the Christian faith is the study of the last things or the end times. A vital element of eschatology is an event in the Bible called the Millennium. Millennium means one thousand. There are different views regarding the time in history we call the millennium. Is it real or figurative? Another question is when does it happen, or has it happened already? Are we in the millennium now? I will attempt to answer those questions in this article; but first, let us look at some different views on the millennium.
Amillennialism – Amillennialists believe there is no literal millennium reign of Jesus Christ. The prefix “A” means none, and millennium as mentioned above means one thousand – so it means no millennium. Amillennialists believe the Church Age – the age we are in now is also the millennium. In other words, the church age and the millennium are concurrent. Amillennialists timeline is as follows:
a. First Advent of Christ
b. Church Age/millennium
c. Tribulation
d. Second Advent of Christ
e. New heavens and new earth/Eternity
Premillennialism – Premillennialists believe there is a literal one-thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth after his second advent. Of course the prefix “Pre” means before – meaning premillennialists believe the return of Christ occurs before the millennium. Premillennialists timeline is as follows:
a. First Advent of Christ
b. Church Age
c. Tribulation
d. Second Advent of Christ
e. Millennium
f. New heavens and new earth/Eternity
Postmillennialism – Postmillennialists do not believe in a literal one-thousand-year reign of Christ. Rather, they believe the Church age becomes the millennium. The one thousand years is figurative – non designated period of time. In fact, there are some postmillennialists that subscribe to what is called a “Dominion Theology." This means they will take control of the earth through (1) evangelization, and (2) through economic, military and political control. Once the entire world is ‘’Christianized”, Jesus is allowed to return to the earth.
The postmillennialists timeline is as follows:
a. First Advent of Christ
b. The Church age → becomes “millennium” (non-literal and indefinite time frame)
c. Tribulation?
d. Second Advent of Christ
e. New heavens and new earth/Eternity
The problems with the amillennium view are (1) the Church age which we are in now is distinct from the millennium, not equivalent to it. (2) to assert there is no millennium is to distort the scripture – particularly deny the reality of Revelation chapter 20 which produces several problems within the chapter if there is no millennium:
2. The first resurrection does not occur minus the millennium (vs. 4-6).
3. Satan cannot be released to deceive the nations only to be cast into the Lake of Fire (vs. 7-10).
4. The Great WhiteThrone Judgment of the wicked dead does not occur which means they are not cast into the Lake of Fire (vs. 11-15).
The amillennium position is unbiblical.
Problems with the postmillennium position is that like amillennialism distorts the Biblical timeline of events. The main error that the writer sees is that it gives total dominion to the Church instead of dominion to the head of the Church – The Lord Jesus Christ Himself. The Bible makes it evident that the millennium has to be literal. If it is not, then Jesus cannot set up his global reign of peace on earth.
In Isaiah we read a clear picture of the posture of the millennium. It reads, “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and fatling together; And a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; Their young ones shall lie down together; And the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall put his hand in the viper’s den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain. For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord" (Isaiah 11:6-9).
Now I ask the reader, at what time in history has these things occurred? Certainly it is not happening now. And it definitely will not happen during the seven-year tribulation, or at the second coming. The only logical explanation would be it would have to occur during the millennium reign of our Lord, and then into the eternal state.
The postmillennium view is also unbiblical.
That only leaves premillennialism. If one takes Revelation chapters 19-20 literally, then one has to believe the millennium occurs after the second coming, or that Jesus comes prior to the millennium. It is a literal one-thousand-year period. This is unmistakable. The one thousand years is mentioned six times in Revelation 20 (vs 2-7). No doubt John the writer mentions it that many times to emphasize that the one thousand years is literal.
These passages no doubt refer to the millennium:
And in that day it shall be that living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, half toward the eastern sea, and half of them toward the western sea. In both summer and winter it shall occur, and the Lord shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be – “The Lord is one, “ and his name one.
All the land shall be turned into a plain from Geba to Rimmon south of Jerusalem. Jerusalem shall be raised up and inhabited in her place from Benjamin’s Gate to the place of the First Gate and the Corner Gate, and from the Tower of Hananel to the King’s winepresses.
The people shall dwell in it; And no longer shall there be utter destruction, but Jerusalem shall be safely inhabited (Zechariah 14:8-11).
The Bible commands we that we pray for the peace of Jerusalem, “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem. May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, prosperity within your palaces” (Psalm 122:6-7).
There would be no need to pray for Jerusalem’s peace if we were in some “sort” of millennium now like amillennialists and postmillenialists believe. No. The millennium is a surety, but it is yet a future event.
[1] As an aside, we DO NOT have the ability to bind the devil as many (or perhaps most) in the church believe; no matter how loudly one prays, or how impassioned and sincere they are. I say this hopefully for the benefit and edification for those who attempt to bind him in their prayers. This binding in prayer(s) comes from a misinterpretation of Matthew 16:19 and Matthew 18:18. Revelation 20 is the only place the author has found in scripture where Satan is bound and literally rendered powerless for one thousand years until he is loosed one last time.
Comments