Millennium- Why the Pre-Millennial View is the only Biblical view

The pre-millennial position fits a literal rendering of Scripture.

Revelation teaches that at the end of the current age, Jesus Christ will return to the earth and reign over it with the saints for a 1,000 years. Church Doctrine refers to this period of time as the millennium (the Latin term for 1,000 years). Taking what the Book of Revelation says at face value, a reader should conclude that this era begins after Christ returns and defeats the beast and his armies in the battle of Armageddon (Rev 19:11-21). Christ will then reign with the resurrected saints for a 1,000 years preceding the Great white throne Judgement (Rev 20:11-15) and the creation of a New Heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1). This is the natural chronological progression of the book of Revelation and anyone taking a literal rendering of the account would see this. This doctrinal viewpoint is referred to as the premillennial position. The premillennial view asserts simply that Christ returns to earth in his second coming before the 1,000 year reign ensues. Anyone having a problem with this doctrinal position has an issue with the literal rendering of the Revelation passage. Despite this fact, many in Christendom do not hold to this position. Several hold to a postmillennial position that holds that this golden era occurs between Christ’s first and second coming (although one could argue that this window of time has well exceeded 1,000 years). The postmillennial view asserts simply that the millennial reign concludes right before the second coming of Jesus Christ to earth. Many others hold to an amillennial position; a positon that holds all of these prophetic passages to be merely symbolic. They do not believe the 1,000 years to be a literal time frame. They would say that Christ reigns from Heaven at the right hand of the Father during this time frame rather than literally sitting on David’s earthly throne in Zion as promised. Let’s explore what the Bible says about the millennium and why the pre-millennial view really is the only Biblical position to take.

Why a literal rendering of Scripture supports a pre-millennial view

There are four basic reasons directly out of Revelation 20 and other passages that should tell the reader why Christians do not find themselves currently in the millennium at this point in time.

Point 1: 1,000 years is a very specific value and it means what it says.

For Starters, Scripture clearly says that this time period of the millennium is 1,000 years. To assert that this timeframe is not literal or something other than what is clearly written, has lost sight of the clear text. The fact that it has been more than 1,000 years since the first coming of Christ should give everyone pause that we are not in the millennium. If you do not take the scripture at face value, then a person can interpret it to mean anything they dream up. Since no man knows the future but God, men should stick with what Revelation clearly says. Postmillenialists and allmillenialists that tie the beginning of the millennium to Pentecost have difficulty defining the 1,000 years as a literal timeframe given that Christs has yet to return and usher in the eternal state in almost 2,000 years.

Point 2: We are not in the millennium if Satan is not bound

Scripture plainly teaches Satan is bound for the millennium. We cannot be in the millennium because Satan is not bound at this point in time. Currently, He is free to roam like a lion seeking whom He may devour. He is now free to deceive. Scripture clearly says the devil will not be free to deceive for the millennium. He will be bound in the bottomless pit for the duration of the millennium in order that He might not deceive the nations. Post millennialists and amillennialists are hard pressed to prove that the world is currently in the millennial golden age since Satan is not bound (he is still free to deceive).

Point 3: We are not in the millennium if resurrected saints don’t reign.

The Tribulation and resurrection clearly precedes the millennium, saints who are beheaded in the tribulation clearly come to life and rule for the duration of this 1,000 year reign. The fact that Christians have tribulation in this world and do not rule should be proof enough we are not in the millennium. The fact that Christian martyrs have not been raised to life in the first resurrection should tell everyone the millennium has not been ushered in yet. The fact that they have not occurred should make people re-think we are actually in the millennium as some would assert. Postmillenialists and amillenialists are hard pressed to prove the world is currently in the millennial golden age if the resurrected saints are not in charge.

Point 4: The Current Age does not resemble the portrait of what Life in the millennium would be like.

Other argument could also be made from other Scriptural passages than Revelation. What occurs in the Millennium is quite a bit different than the current age. For instance, the lion lying down with the lamb and children playing with cobras peacefully does not occur in the current age. All of these prophecies only further add credence to the notion that Christians do not find themselves in the millennial age. All of this has not happened yet simply because Christ has not returned yet to come and restore all things.

Why Post millennial believe what they do and why they are wrong.

Postmillennial proponents are also preterists who believe that many of the prophetic events described in Revelation have already transpired in part or in total in the first century (although one would be hard pressed to explain how historical events actually fit all of this). Some believe Ceasar Nero to have been the Anti-Christ and that the millennial reign refers to the Christian era that was ushered in at Pentecost (although this sequence of events does not really fit the prophetic progression of events outlined in Revelation). Postmillenialists believe that Christian influence over the world has grown slowly ever since with ever greater levels of influence with the spread of the gospel. They will quote how Christ was to sit at God’s right hand until He has made all his enemies his footstool. They will also cite many scriptural phrases such as ‘the time is at hand’, ‘the time is near’, and ‘it is the last hour’ to support this view. Most are partial preterists believing that the events in Revelation have partially fulfilled, some are hyper preterists think all of it has been fulfilled. Preterists will quote Christ’s promise where He says ‘this generation will by no means pass away till all these things take place (Matt 24:34).’ They believe this passage infers that all prophetic events will completely transpire in the first century before Jesus contemporaries would pass away. Anyone looking at contemporary history should realize that is not the case. Postmillenials conclude this because they misinterpret which generation Jesus was actually referring to. Context demonstrates that the generation Jesus referred to was the one that would see the signs He also referred to (not explicitly the generation of the first century Jesus was talking with). Understanding this difference should clear away all this confusion. The fact that Anti-christs have already entered the world or that Christianity held a prominent position in society for a time in history is not in itself a proof we are in the millenium. If history does not fit prophecy perfectly than it simply does not fit and is not right.

Why Amillennialists believe Scripture does not mean what it says.

Amillenialists love to quote Jesus when he says “the kingdom of God does not come with observation: nor will they say ‘see here’ or ‘see there.’ For indeed, the kingdom of God is within you (Luke 17:20-21).” Amillennialists interpret this to mean that the kingdom is merely spiritual (as if what is spiritual does not come forth and become a literal earthly kingdom already there as promised). They take this quote to justify how no prophetic passage on the kingdom really means what it says. I would beg to differ with this interpretation. Saying Christ’s Spirit and kingdom resides within some extra dimensional state for a time and originates from within believers does not somehow make it less real or tangible. Nor does this passage invalidate all the other prophetic promises that the Messiah would one day sit on David’s earthly throne and reign forever. Just because some symbols are used in Scripture at times does not necessitate everything being symbolic. Scriptural context tells the reader when symbols are used or when something should be taken literally. When Jesus makes comparisons between the kingdom of Heaven and everyday things in his parables, the context clearly tells the reader He is doing so. People should never symbolize something just because the passage does not make sense to the reader. Doing so, only makes a passage not mean what it says and creates confusion. Letting the text speak for itself is how readers discover for themselves what a scriptural passage really means.