Who reigns 1,000 years? Christ, or the saints?There is no scripture that says the reign of Christ will be for a thousand years; his reign is forever. But in Revelation 20 John uses that expression for the time of the saints' reigning with him. Perhaps he uses a thousand years to signify "a foretaste of eternity."
What is meant by a thousand years?The apostle Peter connected a thousand years with "a day with the Lord." He wrote, "But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day." [2 Peter 3:8]
Substituting the phrase "a day with the Lord" for "a thousand years" in Revelation 20 may possibly yield a clue suggesting the meaning of this passage. Peter also said,
2 Peter 1:18-19
We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your hearts: Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation.Peter wrote of
darkness, and approaching
dawn, and the
light of prophecy, and the
day star that rises up in our hearts, bringing in the full light of
day, which represents a full understanding of the gospel, as Jesus described the righteous who "shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father," after the tares and things that offend are removed. [Matthew 13:43] Peter's reference to
light and
darkness is metaphorical. Light signifies truth and knowledge, and darkness signifies error, or ignorance. The
day, and the
thousand years, in which believers reign with Christ is a time of their spiritual enlightenment.
How does Rev. 20:1-7 connect with Ezekiel?The following table was presented by Steve Moyise. [
Does the author of Revelation misappropriate the scriptures? Andrews University Seminary Studies, Spring 2002, Vol. 40, No. 1. 3-21.]
| Ezekiel | | Revelation |
| Revival of dry bones (Ez. 37:10) | | First resurrection (Rev. 20:5) |
| Reunited kingdom (Ez. 37:21) | | Saints rule for 1,000 years (Rev. 20:4) |
| Gog & Magog battle (Ez. 38:2) | | Gog & Magog battle (Rev. 20:8) |
| Gorging of the birds (Ez. 39:4) | | Gorging of the birds (Rev. 19:21) |
| Taken to high mountain (Ez. 40:2) | | Taken to high mountain (Rev. 21:10) |
| Temple is measured (Ez. 40:5) | | City is measured (Rev. 21:15) |
| Temple full of God's glory (Ez. 43:2) | | City full of God's glory (Rev. 21:23) |
| River of life (Ez. 47:12) | | River of life (Rev. 22:2) |
Did John say χίλιοι ἔτος, thousands, in Revelation 20:1-7?The question whether a thousand years, or thousands of years, best represents the thought of Revelation 20:1-7, is raised by the translation offered in the
Tischendorf 8th Edition of the Greek New Testament, where the expression χίλιοι ἔτος is used, meaning thousands of years, as
chilioi is plural. Most texts have χίλια ἔτη, a thousand years.
If
chilioi is the correct word, rather than
chilia, the idea that Christ will return to reign upon earth for one thousand years in the future is discredited. A spiritual interpretation of the reigns of the saints who are
beheaded, and do not worship the beast or his image, seems more promising.
See
Thousand or thousands in Revelation 20:1-7 for a discussion.
In prophecy, are years literal, but days figurative? John Russell Hurd wrote:
But when all the other parts of a passage in this book are to be taken in a spiritual or figurative sense, we see no reason for making the expression a thousand years an exception to the general rule. There is no reason why the term thousand, or that of years, should not be as figurative as the terms chain, key, pit, be. In addition to this, we are to take into consideration the declaration of the mighty angel, (Rev. x. 7:) "There shall be time no longer;" and we have as good reason for applying this declaration to the term of one thousand years here, as we have had for applying it to the twelve hundred and sixty days. We have no warrant for maintaining the distinction, that the years are literal, but the days are figurative. So, on the other hand, if we were to consider the twelve hundred and sixty days, or forty-two months, as days of years, and months of thirty years each, by the same rule we should consider the period now under consideration as one of three hundred and sixty thousand years, instead of one thousand.
[Hurd, John Russell. Hyponoia or, Thoughts on a spiritual understanding of the Apocalypse. Leavitt, Trow & Co. NY. 1844. p. 503.]
What does John intend to teach in Revelation 20:1-10?The overthrow of Satan is the main idea, as the binding of Satan begins this section. John introduces the idea that the saints who reign with Christ are those who have been
beheaded. I think this is a metaphor representing submission of ones' mind to God. Paul exhorted the saints to become
living sacrifices: "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." [Romans 12:1] James said, "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." [James 4:7]
The saints overcoming Satan is the crux of a chiasmus that spans the whole book. See
On the chiastic structure of RevelationWhen he returns, does Christ reign for a thousand years?Richard Baxter (1615-1691), an influential Puritan leader in the seventeenth century, which was a time when the meaning of the thousand years of Revelation 20 was a hot topic of controversy, wrote: "His coming in the air is not there to reign a thousand years, but presently to judge the world, as in Matth. 25. he describeth it: and to confine his kingdom in human nature, and ours with him to a thousand years, and confine it to the air, and the survivors on earth, is a fiction full of contradictions, dishonourable to Christ and his Kingdom, uncomfortable to the Church." [The glorious kingdom of Christ, described and clearly vindicated. 1691. p. 8.]
When are the saints to become "a royal priesthood"?According to Paul, every believer is a temple of God. [1 Corinthians 3:16; 6:19] The church, consisting of those who are "in Christ," is depicted as a temple, [Ephesians 2:20-22] and the saints "sit together in heavenly places." [Ephesians 2:5-6]
The apostle Peter described believers as stones built up into a spiritual house, or temple, and they are also a holy priesthood, offering up spiritual sacrifices. [1 Peter 2:5] Because Jesus is our high priest, and because he also reigns as king on the throne of David, the saints are a royal priesthood, being part of the house of David, by their connection to Jesus. The church is Christ's body.
Living holy lives, acceptable unto God, is "our reasonable service," Paul said. [Romans 12:1] He encouraged believers to be "fervent in spirit; serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer." [Romans 12:11-12] He wrote: "the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he that in these things serveth Christ is acceptable to God… therefore follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another." [Romans 14:17-19] Paul, and the other apostles, viewed Christ's kingdom as a present reality. Peter said:
1 Peter 2:8-10
But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light;
Which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.Is part of Revelation 20:5 spurious?The words "The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed" are missing in the Codex Sinaiticus, which is the oldest known manuscript. The passage seems more natural when the words are omitted.
Where can I see the Codex Sinaiticus manuscript?The manuscript can be viewed at
this site.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and the power of judging was given to them; and I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus, and for the word of God; and of those who had not worshiped the beast, nor his image, and had not received his mark on their forehead, nor on their hand; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5 [no verse]
6 Blessed and holy is he that has part in this first resurrection; over such the second death has no power; but they shall be priests of God and of the Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. What is the first resurrection?The first resurrection is the experience of being raised up, as a new creation, when one believes the gospel, and is baptized. Paul wrote: "Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life." [Romans 6:4]
Paul also wrote: "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." [2 Corinthians 5:17] I suggest the first resurrection in Revelation 20:5 alludes to these teachings of Paul.
What is Discrete Millennialism?This is an alternative to premillennialism, postmillennialism, amillennialism etc. The thousand years applies to the lives of individual saints who reign with Christ, not to Christ, who reigns forever. See:
Discrete MillennialismWhat happens when the thousand years end?If the thousand years of Revelation 20 are understood in a spiritual sense, rather than by the letter, and it represents the duration of the lives of individual Christians as explained above, the
thousand years or the
day with the Lord ends prematurely for those who fall away, who abandon their faith, who return to the world from which they had escaped, and cease to walk in the way of Christ, thus terminating the thousand years, or their
day with the Lord, which represents the duration of their reign with Christ. For them, the thousand years are finished.
The
thousand years ends prematurely for those who are
seduced, and follow the tail of the dragon, as pictured by the
stars cast to the earth in Revelation 12:4.
Doug
