Revelation 19 describes the return of jesus christ, coming in glory and power to take over the kingdoms of this world and to institute a new, just reign here on earth verses 1116. The millennium isin a sensegods timetable of final eventsit reveals the. Why is god going to release satan after the 1,000 years. Revelation 20 nkjv satan bound 1,000 years then i saw an. Revelation twenty 20 is the one passage in the bible that explicitly speaks of the millennium, using an expression which literally means a thousand years, and it does so no less than six times our english term millennium is actually the latin equivalent for the greek expression used in revelation. Is there room for a literal year physical reign of jesus on a physical. Over 100 years ago, victor hugo, the french novelist and author of les miserables. He had in his hand a key to the hole without a bottom. At the end of the 1, 000 years, satan will be set free. Below are some bible passages that include the number 1, 000. Although this topic has very limited exposure in scripture, it has formed the basis of three major schools of thought. Postmillennialism the belief that the 1, 000 years in revelation comes before the physical return of jesus. During that time, the 144,000 heavenly joint heirs will be judges and will rule.
I looked at the end of the book and we win, revelation 20. Finally, the premillennialist insists that the words one thousand years chilia ete must mean literal years, which is to say, arithmetically and chronologically precise years. Millennium, years with jesus in heaven a revelation. A more comprehensive study will follow in part 2 of the series students of bible prophecy generally ascribe to four basic views regarding the 1,000 years mentioned in revelation 20. When 1, 000 years are over, satan will be freed from his prison. I have taught a class on revelation in which i address the question of the years in some detail. Use features like bookmarks, note taking and highlighting while reading qanon and years of peace. A short study of revelation 20s 1,000 years, part 1. Christian millennialist thinking is primarily based upon the book of revelation, specifically. What is the meaning of the hundred years mentioned in. Is the bibles prediction about a thousand years of peace on earth real. Revelation twenty 20 is the one passage in the bible that explicitly speaks of the millennium, using an expression which literally means a thousand years, and it does so no less than six times our english ter. Revelation 20 states that satan will be defeated and locked up for years and then released for a short time.
And i saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of jesus and because of the word of god one group. To understand the book of revelation it is necessary to grasp its simplistic message and relate its symbolism to scriptures found in other books. A more comprehensive study will follow in part 2 of the series students of bible prophecy generally ascribe to four basic views regarding the 1, 000 years mentioned in revelation 20. The interpretation of the days in genesis 1 and the meaning of the thousand years in revelation 20 are related due to the use of numbers and measurements of time in the bible. So, one applying literal interpretation methods will necessarily misinterpret the entire book. As anyone who has studied revelation knows all too well, deciphering numbers in this book is an incredibly difficult task. Revelation twenty 20 is the one passage in the bible that explicitly speaks of the millennium, using an expression which literally means a thousand years. In revelation 20 verses 27, six times we are told that satan will be bound and that christ will reign for a thousand years. John, a symbol of the church, is taken up to heaven. John saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. The rapturees will be returned to earth to join the surviving humans and for 1, 000 years will repopulate earth just as noahs family did. The book of revelation apocalypse in the bible seven churches of. In the book of revelation, why is satan released again.
The only mention of 1, 000 years is in the book of revelation a book of symbolic numbers. What is meant by the years mentioned in the book of. Christ took the book and began to exercise gods rule over the whole universe in the ad 30s upon his ascension into heaven. Is the 1, 000 years referred to in the book of revelation literal. Then for 1, 000 years jesus will rule with the help of 144,000 martyrs. They will learn about jehovahs requirements for everlasting lif. What is the meaning of the years of revelation 20. When the thousand years are over, satan will be freed from his prison. In revelation chapter 5 a book is introduced, and that book is the basis of the remaining seventeen chapters of revelation. Revelation 20 new life version nlv satan is chained for one thousand years. This prompts us to ask whether this period of time is literally 1, 000 years, or whether it is to be taken as a limited period of time at all.
Because during the thousand years billions who died before armageddon will be resurrected. The word thousand appears 521 times in the king james version bible. The interpretations of this scripture vary and can be expressed from three different prospectives, which include the views of premillennialism, postmillennialism. At the end of the 1,000 years, satan will be set free. The 1, 000 year reign of christ in revelation 20 is not a literal 1, 000 years. Why should we take it literally in the highly symbolic book of revelation if it is always used symbolically in the rest of the bible. This is the event that inaugurates the tribulation period. When 1,000 years are over, satan will be freed from his prison. While the list above is not by any means exhaustive, every chapter of the book of revelation contains symbolism. This article is the first in a two part study, meant to outline the key elements of revelation 20. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. Revelation twenty describes dead saints souls in heaven ruling with christ during the new testament period. The thousand years 20 and i saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the abyss and holding in his hand a great chain. Some teach that at his second coming the christ will set up a kingdom here on earth.
Millennialism or chiliasm from the greek equivalent, is a belief advanced by some religious. As previously indicated, it is a latin word meaning thousand years, and the only specific scriptures using the term thousand years are found in revelation 20. The book of revelation complements many old testament prophecies, including this one. Any attempt to answer this question must rely on the context of revelation 20, for no other bible verse clearly. A preterist commentary james rinkevich october 1, 2015 at 10. I am not a premillenialist jesus comes back to dwell in jerusalem to begin a year reign or a postmillenialist a year victorious period for gods people before jesus comes back. In particular, new emphasis was placed on the passages in the book of revelation which seemed to say that as christ would return to judge the living and the dead, satan would be locked away for years, but then released on the world to instigate a final battle against god and his saints revelation 20. But still, as we have studied the book of revelation, perhaps we have come to the. Some of the references of one thousand in the scripture are. What is judgment day the 1,000 year reign of christ. Revelation 20, years, and the great white throne judgment. Amillennialism the belief that the 1, 000 years in revelation is figurative, and not literal. When the thousand years come to an end, satan will be let out of his prison.
The righteous 1 will spend years the millennium with christ in heavenand they lived and reigned with christ for a thousand years revelation 20. The number 1, 000 is used throughout scripture in a symbolic way to denote completeness. The 1, 000 years are not to be thought of as literal years, but rather the whole time between the two advents of the messiah minus, possible the short season. Also the temple itself had existed in some form for a years when the romans burned it down. Program 15 revelations thousand years of peace with evangelist mark finley. Many attempting to explain the book of revelation incorrectly take a purely sequential approach, ie. To help him administer this new kingdom, christians from the early church will be raised to rule with him. Christ opens the first of the sevensealed scroll, and the rider on the white horse probably antichrist appears, using diplomacy and the promise of. Book of revelation overview church of jesus christ. Many elaborate theories have been based on revelation 20. It is only found in this passage within the book of revelation. Proving the thousand years of revelation 20 is exactly. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished.
Jehovahs witnesses believe that christ will rule from heaven for 1,000 years as king over the earth, assisted by 144,000 holy ones. The book of revelation, 7 seals, 7 trumpets, 7 plagues and the years. The thousand year reign the book of revelation, chapter 20, is the only new testament account of the thousand year reign of christ. The book of revelation shows that judgment day begins after the war of armageddon, when satans system on earth will be destroyed. During the millennium babies will be born and live short lives and. Many people question this number, some see it as only a symbol of a length of time. And when the thousand years are expired, satan shall be loosed out of his prison. They include many many people who knew nothing about the true god and his son christ jesus.
The first explicit statements that the kingdom of god will reign on earth for a thousand years appear toward the end of the bible, in the book of revelation. They lived came alive and reigned with christ for a thousand years revelation 20. It will be impossible for any person to repent during the 1, 000 years because there will not be a person alive on the earth. Revelation 20 states that satan will be defeated and locked up for years. The unsaved dead remain in their graves until the end of the 1, 000 years revelation 20. And when the thousand years shall be finished, satan shall be loosed out of his. Thus jesus return is after or post, the 1, 000 years or millennium.
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