Millennium • Devotion 4: He is King

Sierra Combs

I recently sat on a bus with some fellow staff members, and the topic of eschatology came up. Actually, I think I was the one who brought it up because I love hearing what my brothers and sisters in Christ think about the end times! It is quite interesting that there are so many wise, God-honoring, and God-loving Christians who passionately hold different views on how it is all going to go down in the end. As someone who is very black and white and dogmatic in many areas, I have yet to take a hardline, official stance on my eschatological views, and I always wonder if I am one compelling argument away from being permanently swayed. Unfortunately, the conversations on the bus did not lead to that as everyone had a different opinion and made some good points for backing up their views! The particular conversation we were having was about the Millennial Kingdom and where it fits on the futuristic timeline. The topic of the Millennium is a controversial one. While it is a very interesting matter, there is not a large amount of Scripture devoted to it, which makes for an even higher probability of differences in interpretation. It is also written within the book of Revelation, which is a mix of literal and figurative language, and sometimes it is hard to know which is which. I actually went into the conversation expecting us all to have similar opinions and was surprised to find that every single one of us interpreted things differently.

The word millennium means 1,000 years, and the idea of a Millennial Kingdom is mentioned in Revelation 20:1-6, “Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while. Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Many Christians view this passage as literal events that are yet to come. Things will get worse and worse in the world culminating in a literal Great Tribulation, and then Christ will return. Satan will be bound, the saints who have been raptured and those who have been martyred will join with believers who have survived the Tribulation and they will join Christ as He reigns over a literal kingdom for a thousand years. After these years, Satan will be released and one final rebellion will take place, followed by the final judgment. This is the premillennial view (as they believe Christ will return prior to His reign). Another view is the postmillennial view, which holds that Christ will not return until the end of the Millennial Kingdom. It is the Church’s job to preach the Gospel and Christianize the world, eventually ushering in a type of golden age (that will last either a literal or figurative 1,000 years) where the majority of the world and its leaders will prioritize God and His Word. Things will keep getting better until the Millennium comes to an end with one final rebellion, and then Christ will return. The third main view, the amillennial view, holds that Christ currently rules His spiritual kingdom in the hearts of His believers (as opposed to a literal physical kingdom) and that the “1,000 years,” is a metaphorical number that began when Jesus ascended to Heaven and will end when He returns and ushers in the new Heavens and new Earth.

To my surprise, all of these interpretations were represented on that bus. It was a fun conversation. Though I did not walk away with any concrete clarity, I was reminded that in the end, it really does not matter. Whatever view you land on, we can all hold fast to the fact that Christ is currently reigning over the universe while seated at the right hand of the Father, and He will soon return for us. He was, is, and will always be our King. Until then, we can all join in unity as we proclaim His great name to a world that is desperate for Him!