Discrete millennialism

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The Creation Concept


Contents

The thousand years in Revelation 20:1-9

Discrete millennialism

The first resurrection

The thousand years and the temple

Jesus the King of the Jews

A day with the Lord

Parallels between Daniel 7 and Revelation 20

The millennium rebellion

When the thousand years are finished...

Revelation 20 and 12 compared

On the bottomless pit, and the binding of Satan

The thousand year reign and the sabbath rest

Ezekiel and the thousand year reign

Milk, or strong meat?

M. G. Kline, Armageddon, and discrete millennialism

B. B. Warfield on the Millennium

Philip Mauro on the thousand year reign

Milligan's Comments on Revelation 20

The millennium rebellion

In 1 Corinthians 15:22-24, Paul connects the resurrection from the dead with men becoming subject to God. He wrote, “For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive. But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming. Then cometh the end, when he shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father; when he shall have put down all rule and all authority and power.”

The idea of resurrection is also connected with the saints who are subject to Christ, in Revelation 20:4, where those who are beheaded reign with Christ, and for them, Satan is bound, and cast into the bottomless pit.

The idea that the Lord has to rule on earth for 1,000 years, at Jerusalem, is contrary to the Scriptures, that say he is to reign in heaven, until all his enemies are subject to him. The apostle Peter said to the Jews: “And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you: Whom the heaven must receive until the times of restitution of all things, which God hath spoken by the mouth of all his holy prophets since the world began.” [Acts 3:20-21]

And Jesus himself said, “And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, Till I make thine enemies thy footstool.” [Luke 20:42-43]

This is also quoted in Hebrews: “But this man, after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right hand of God; From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his footstool.” [Hebrews 10:12-13]

How could Jesus be sitting upon a throne in the earthly Jerusalem, when Satan is loosed out of his prison and goes out to deceive the nations of the world, to gather them together to battle against the saints, at the end of thousand years?

It says Jesus remains in heaven, and at God’s right hand, “till his enemies be made his footstool.” The Premillennialial interpretation makes these Scriptures contradict. That interpretation of the thousand years in Revelation 20 is flawed, and views these scriptures with “eyes like the eyes of a man,” a human viewpoint, not the divine one. “Eyes like the eyes of a man” are a characteristic of the “little horn” of Daniel 7. Premillennialialists misinterpret the prophecy of Revelation 20, as their theory promotes an earthly, carnal, visible kingdom, where ethnic Jews are doted on by Gentiles.

In fact, the prophecy says the saints who are beheaded reign with Christ for a thousand years, not that Christ’s reign is for a thousand years upon the earth. Christ’s reign is in heaven; those who reign with him “sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” [Ephesians 2:6] This is during the lives of the saints in this age, not in a future Millennium. It is called a thousand years because it is a “watch in the night.” The present age is called “night,” but the saints who reign with Christ are “children of the day.”

The Psalmist says that a thousand years is like a watch in the night. “For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday when it is past, and as a watch in the night.” [Psalm 90:4]

Why would the Scripture say that Christ is to reign forever, if his reign was to be for a mere “watch in the night”? Taken literally, and when considered together with what the Scriptures say about Gog and Magog, the Premillennial theory leads to contradictions, and presents a very gloomy scenario for the future of the world. It is said that the resurrected saints will judge, and re-educate humanity, for a thousand years, but in their interpretation the outcome is not peace, but a world in rebellion. What a dismal job for the saints, whose efforts are doomed to fail, when Satan is let loose.

Promoting this doctrine of Premillennialism is big business in America. Seminary students notice “which way the wind blows,” and in America, it blows the way of Premillennialism. Professors teach and support the doctrine, and in some cases they are required to subscribe to that belief. They publish books and articles supporting it.

The Premillennial doctrine is about a “watch in the night,” that ends in rebellion. It contradicts several scriptures that say the reign of Christ as lasting forever. Three examples are given below.

Psalm 146:10
The LORD shall reign for ever, even thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the LORD.

Luke 1:33
And he shall reign over the house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end.

Revelation 11:15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.

Copyright © 2011 by Douglas E. Cox
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