Shabbat shalom, Wormwood.
Wormwood said:
Revelation 20 has become one of the most divisive chapters in the Bible. Fierce debates have arisen about Israel, timelines, notions of Antichrist and great tribulation periods that have frustrated and confused many. I certainly do not believe that issues of eschatology are matters worth dividing the church over. Yet, some denominations include particular millennial views as requirements for membership. I find this to be unfortunate. The purpose of this post is not to increase the divide (although I am sure there will be some healthy debate on the issue) but to show why I believe the Amillennial view to be a valid eschatological approach that deserves a second look. Even if we disagree, I think it is important to understand that other views have valid points that are worthy of respect and consideration.
A brief definition:
Amillennialism is the view that 1,000 year period mentioned in Revelation is a symbolic number that should be understood qualitatively rather than quantitatively. Also, amillennialists believe that the promises made to Israel, David, and Abraham in the OT find their fulfillment in Jesus Christ and the church in the present age. The "millennium" is a unspecified period of time between the two advents of the Lord Jesus. Christ is currently reigning in heaven during the period between the two advents. It rejects the notion of a 7 year tribulation, secret rapture and dispensational understanding of God's interaction with humanity. Rather, the second coming, resurrection of good and evil, rapture and judgment all occur on the same day and are not events spread out over years, decades or centuries.
Defending a symbolic understanding of the 1,000 years:
Many object to Amillennialism because they claim it rejects a "literal" reading of Revelation 20. However, I find that those who claim to read Revelation "literally" quite simply do not. If so, then we must conclude that Jesus has seven eyes and seven horns, Jesus literally looks like a butchered lamb in heaven, dragons, beasts and locusts with hair will literally roam the earth, and a giant prostitute will ride around on a monstrous beast with multiple heads and crowns, drinking glasses of blood. I have yet to find someone who claims to read Revelation "literally" to make such an argument. So the question is not who interprets Revelation literally, but where do we draw the lines between that which is symbolic and that which is specific. I would argue that Revelation is full of symbolic numbers, such as 6, 7, 12 and multiples of 10. For instance, seven churches, seven eyes, seven horns, seven seals, seven lampstands, seven trumpets, seven heads, seven hills etc. Then there are ten heads, ten crowns, ten days of persecution, 10,000 x 10,000, 144,000 (10x10x10x12x12), and 1,000 years (10x10x10). In my estimation, pretty much all the numbers in revelation are symbolic. Are there really only 10,000 x 10,000 angels in heaven? Did John count them all? Are there really 2 million people in the army of Armageddon? Did John count them? Did Jesus really mean that people would only be persecuted for 10 days? If so, why does he say to remain faithful, even unto death?
The immanent return of Christ:
One reason I hold to the Amillennial view is that it makes the most sense of Christ's teaching about his return. It seems evident to me that Paul and the Apostles expected Jesus to return at any moment. They were not waiting for the Temple to be rebuilt (those that lived after 70AD) or the entire nation of Israel coming to faith in Christ. Neither is there any indication that they expected any sort of secret rapture that would take all the Christians out of the world. Rather, Jesus told his disciples to "watch" because they "do not know the day or hour." In fact, the entire point of all of Jesus' parables about his return is that it comes in a moment when no one is expecting it so therefore believers should live every moment like the Master will return. There is no indication that his return will be delayed for 7 years after an initial rapture. Moreover, there is nothing to indicate the "rapture" to be silent. Rather, Paul indicates that it will be preceded by the appearance of Christ, the voice of the archangel, the trumpet of God and the resurrection of the good and evil. In fact, when Jesus speaks of those who are "taken away" in Matthew 24, he is referring to the flood. Those who were "taken away" were the wicked while those who were "left" behind were the righteous (Noah and his family)! You do not want to be "left behind!"
The millennial age:
Finally, I think most of the views about the "millennial age" have absolutely nothing to do with Revelation 20. Revelation 20 says very little about the 1,000 years other than that Satan will be bound so that he can "deceive the nations" no longer. It never says anything about people living to be 300 years old or lions laying down with lambs. It says nothing bout the exaltation of national Israel. All of these concepts have been imposed upon Revelation 20 from the Old Testament. The only thing mentioned about Revelation 20 is the binding of Satan, his inability to deceive, and the coming to life of those who refused to worship the beast so they could reign with Christ 1,000 years.
My contention is that this "first resurrection" has to do with those who are baptized in Christ and die in the faith. As Jesus declared, "I am the resurrection and the life. Whoever believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and everyone who lives and believes in me shall never die.” (Cf. John 11:25–26) There is no place else in the NT that speaks of two resurrections of the righteous, except when referring to the "first resurrection" as being "raised with Christ" through faith in him. It only makes sense that those who take part of this first resurrection have no fear of the "second death" (hell). Moreover, the NT is very clear that Jesus came to "bind the enemy" and "render powerless" the works of the devil. The Gospel is the power of God to save all who believe. At one time, entire nations were deceived and enslaved. But now, by the preaching of the Gospel, the enemy is bound and powerless to prevent people from finding life and hope in Christ.
Well, I suppose I could write for a long time on this. But I would rather hear from you. What are your thoughts?
Regarding a "symbolic understanding of the 1000 years," that they represent "a long time," the argument is insufficient. The "literal" view of the Scriptures is actually the historical/grammatical interpretation of the Scriptures. I've said it before, but I'm probably the MOST literal of all the posters on this forum. You might remember my arguments for a literal dragon (Greek: drakoon = large reptile) which is also called the "original snake!" I.e., haSatan (which is Hebrew for "the Enemy" or "the Adversary") was indeed the serpent (snake) in the garden of `Eden. I pointed out that the ORDER of how the statement was made was significant: that is, "the original snake IS the Devil and Satan," NOT the other way around, "the Devil and Satan are the original snake!" This suggests that, unlike the modern demonological viewpoint, the CREATURE was first, not the "angel" Lucifer!
Regarding the "seven eyes," the thing you're not understanding is that Revelation, like all the other books of the New Testament (and the whole Bible) were originally written in Hebrew (or its cousin, Aramaic, the Syrian version of the same language). These languages were translated into the Koine Greek that we have mere copies of today. In Hebrew, the word for "eye" is "`
ayin," which also happens to be the name of the 16th letter of the Hebrew alef-bet (alphabet). Thus, like Zechariah 3:9, they are not "eyes" with which to see but are seven LETTERS! They are seven LINES or STATEMENTS that all begin with the letter "`
ayin!"
In the same way, the "seven horns" could also be from the Hebrew word "
qeren," which actually does mean "horn" but it also means a "flask (a horn-shaped container)," a "cornet (shofar, a musical instrument made out of an animal horn)," an "ivory tusk (a horn-like tooth)," a "corner" (of the altar tipped with horns), a "mountain peak (like the Matterhorn)," a "ray (of light, horn-like glowings)," and Strong's adds "power in a figurative sense." Thus, it can mean seven "MOUNTAIN PEAKS" or seven "POINTS" in a thesis!
And, I believe that I've written about the locusts of Revelation 9 that they will be literal locusts of a species not known as yet. That is, they will be arthropods with hind legs made for jumping as their overall appearance; however, they will have features that are ... "enhancements" to the normal grasshopper. For instance, they will have stings in their "tails" (abdomens) with poison like that of scorpions, and the Egyptian scorpion has a nerve toxin that, in sufficient quantities, can induce paralysis and immobilization. The chitin of their thoraxes will be as though they were made out of iron - impenetrable armor. They will be larger than modern locusts because the sound of their wings will sound like "horses and chariots running to battle." They will SEEM to have "faces like the faces of men"; that is, they will have bumps and features that RESEMBLE human faces on the fronts of their heads, and they will have hairs not just on the head but all over their bodies that are long and fine hairs, like the hair of women. They will also have antennae that resemble yellow laurel wreathes of gold! And, their mandibles will have sharp, long points resembling the teeth of lions. They will have a king much as ants and bees have queens, and the name of the king, "
Abaddown" in Hebrew or "
Apolluoon" in Greek, which both mean "Destruction" (NOT "Destroyer"), implies the means by which this species is limited to five months: Once their king dies, the species dies with him.
Regarding all the numbers in Revelation, the numbers are CONTROLLED; they are NOT "symbolic!" God has PLANNED for there to be "seven trumpets (shofars)" and "seven vials (bowls)" and "seven lamp stands (menorahs)" but they don't "represent" something else; they are SELECTED to be that number of objects, just as the number seven was stamped on the furniture of the Tabernacle and in the actions and activities of the children of Isra'el during the times of Mosheh (Moses) and Yhowshua` (Joshua), e.g., the march around Yreechow (Jericho) - seven days and seven times around on the seventh day! God has MARKED seven on many things since the week of Creation, but they don't "represent" anything else! The numbers are to be taken literally. Yochanan (John) did NOT count the 200,000,000-member cavalry; he "HEARD the number of them!" SOMEONE ELSE had already counted them!
Regarding the "immanent return of Christ," that's the WRONG WORD! It's the "IMMINENT" return of the Messiah! "Immanent" means "inherent"; "imminent" means "impending." The problem you have (as I see it) is that you still don't understand what "Christ" means! What it means to be "anointed!" What it means to be a "Messiah!" How did that word impact the Isra'elites of Yeshua`s day? It's not some nebulous term meaning that He is the "Son of God"; it had a very SPECIFIC meaning to the Isra'eliy people! And, Yeshua` was NOT using a "broad stroke of the brush" to paint including the Gentiles! He was using a term that was SPECIFICALLY understood to fulfill the prophecies of the Tanakh (the OT)!
Regarding the "seven years" of tribulation, I agree with you. There's no connection between the seven years of Dani'el's seventieth Seven and the tribulation spoken about in the Olivet Discourse nor in the book of Revelation. Just the same, you've lumped too many judgments into one. There is not only a general judgment at the BEGINNING of the Millennium; there will also be a general judgment at the END of the Millennium. However, the Millennium mentioned SIX TIMES in as many verses in Revelation 20 is not JUST about the incarceration of haSatan! One must NEVER forget the complexity of Revelation 20:4-6!
Revelation 20:4-6
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
KJV
The statement at the end of verse 5 is for verse 4, the first part of verse 5 is in anticipation for the remainder of the chapter. That is common in Hebrew literature. It's common for Hebrew writers to telegraph what is coming ahead of time. It's rather like giving all the major points of the outline before delving into the finer points under the first major point. We like to present our literature in an outline form that is familiar and comfortable to us:
I. First major point
A. First minor point under the first major point
B. Second minor point under the first major point
II. Second major point
A. First minor point under the second major point
B. Second minor point under the second major point
III. Third major point
A. First minor point under the third major point
B. Second minor point under the third major point
In Hebrew literature, the presentation is more like this:
I. First major point
II. Second major point
III. Third major point
A. First minor point under the first major point
B. Second minor point under the first major point
A. First minor point under the second major point
B. Second minor point under the second major point
A. First minor point under the third major point
B. Second minor point under the third major point
Thus, from our perspective, the first part of verse 5 is PARENTHETICAL to the matter of the First Resurrection! The pronoun "this" in the latter portion of verse 5 does NOT point to the first part of verse 5; it points rather to verse 4!
Also, there is a chronological order between chapters 19 and 20. Remember that there were NO chapter divisions in the original text! Yeshua` returns to the earth in chapters 11 (beginning in verse 15) through 19. Thus, the reign spoken about in chapter 20 is HIS reign and that of His subjects who reign with Him during that time. We are told in Luke 1:30-33 that Yeshua`s reign will be forever and in Revelation 22:5 that the reign of His people will also be forever. Therefore, the thousand years ONLY applies to the incarceration of haSatan. Nevertheless, Yeshua`s (and His subjects') reign does not begin until AFTER He has returned.
Furthermore, just because a "thousand years" may be a simple number that doesn't negate the fact that the number is a SPECIFIC point on the number line! IF the number was actually some number beyond 2014 - 33 = 1981 years, then why limit it to a "thousand?" Why not say that it's closer to "TWO thousand years?"
Finally, your "contention is that this 'first resurrection' has to do with those who are baptized in Christ and die in the faith" is ridiculous. Since when is "resurrection" to be found in DEATH?! NONSENSE! The resurrection is as described in 1 Corinthians 15:
1 Corinthians 15:35-54
35 But some man will say, How are the dead raised up? and with what body do they come?
36 Thou fool, that which thou sowest is not quickened, except it die:
37 And that which thou sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain:
38 But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body.
39 All flesh is not the same flesh: but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of beasts, another of fishes, and another of birds.
40 There are also celestial bodies, and bodies terrestrial: but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.
41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars: for one star differeth from another star in glory.
42 So also is the resurrection of the dead. It is sown in corruption; it is raised in incorruption:
43 It is sown in dishonour; it is raised in glory: it is sown in weakness; it is raised in power:
44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.
45 And so it is written, The first man Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit.
46 Howbeit that was not first which is spiritual, but that which is natural; and afterward that which is spiritual.
47 The first man is of the earth, earthy: the second man is the Lord from heaven.
48 As is the earthy, such are they also that are earthy: and as is the heavenly, such are they also that are heavenly.
49 And as we have borne the image of the earthy, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly.
50 Now this I say, brethren, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; neither doth corruption inherit incorruption.
51 Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed,
52 In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.
53 For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality.
54 So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.
KJV
And, we have the image of the heavenly in the Messiah's resurrected body!
Luke 24:36-43
36 And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.
37 But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.
38 And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts?
39 Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.
40 And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them his hands and his feet.
41 And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?
42 And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb.
43 And he took it, and did eat before them.
KJV
We are NEVER instructed to anticipate "going to heaven when we die!" We are told to anticipate the RESURRECTION of our bodies unto ETERNAL LIFE!
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