Is the Millennium Literal or Figurative?

Lisa Loraine Baker

The millennium has become a huge part of end-times studies and a hotbed issue for debates about biblical prophecies. One major question divides the major schools of belief: is the millennium literal or figurative?

Which Book of the Bible Mentions the Millennium?

The biblical term millennium receives its title from Revelation 20:1-7, the only place it is mentioned in the Bible. Revelation 20 uses the phrase thousand years six times within its first seven verses. The word millennium comes from the Latin rendering (mille) of the Greek text (chilioi).

With its mention in the apocalyptic book of Revelation, many stress the thousand years as a time when either… Christ will literally reign on earth in the future . . . spiritually in our current state . . . or when kingdom-working humans bring about a Christianized world culminating in Christ's earthly kingdom.

The first mention of the thousand years is about the devil being bound (v. 2). The first-century readers would be perplexed because every time reference up to this point in Revelation has been relatively short (three-and-a-half years being the longest as stated in Revelation 9 and 11). Why one thousand years? This remains a largely unanswered question, except some believe it simply represents an indeterminable period.

Looking at the context of the passage in Revelation 20:1-7, the one-thousand years is tied to:

• Verse 2: The binding of Satan for one thousand years.
• Verse 3: Satan is kept from deceiving the nations for the thousand years of his binding.
• Verse 4: The souls of martyrs came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
• Verse 5: The "rest of the dead" came to life after the thousand years ended.
• Verse 6: The same martyrs (v. 4) will also be priests of God.
• Verse 7: Satan will be released from his prison from his prison after the thousand years are ended.

Four different schools of interpretation exist:

• Historicism relates John's visions (especially chapters 4-20:6) to symbolize history from the first-century church through Christ's return and inauguration of the new heaven and earth.
• Futurism regards the same order and text as events that are still future to us and, therefore, as a distant future to John and his immediate audience.
• Full Preterism believes most of John's visions were fulfilled in the first century.
• Idealism agrees with historicism, except they believe the literary order of events presented by John do not necessarily correspond to the chronological order of the events/visions.

A mixed view is held by some who hold to bits of each school.

Each school of thought about prophetic interpretation holds different views of the millennium. All viewpoints have to do with the return of Christ and when the (literal or figurative) millennium takes place, whether before or after His second advent or within a period of kingdom growth. The three main understandings follow.

Does Premillennialism Treat the Millennium as Literal or Figurative?

The Premillennial view was the predominant view of the early church (Papias, Tertullian, Clement of Rome, Ignatius, Polycarp, and Justin the Martyr all espoused the Premillennial view) and is associated with the futurist school. This view waned after the second century but made a strong comeback through the influence of John Walvoord, James M. Boice, Charles Swindoll, David Jeremiah, and Charles Ryrie. The immensely popular Left Behind book series also gained notice for the Premillennial view.

Premillennialism declares itself as the only one which interprets the millennium literally. Included in their viewpoint:

1. The next event on the prophetic time clock is the church's Rapture, where Christ comes in the air, and believers are "caught up" to be with Him.
2. Soon after, the seven-year tribulation begins, with the first three and a half years being a time of relative peace until the Antichrist is revealed. What follows is called the "time of Jacob's trouble—a three-and-a-half-year period known as the Great Tribulation, where Satan indwells the Antichrist and mayhem ensues. Many are persecuted and become martyrs for the cause of Christ.
3. Christ then returns with His saints and defeats the Antichrist, his minions, and their followers.
4. Christ binds the devil for one thousand years, and his saints reign with Him on earth during a peaceful millennium.
5. Satan is released for a final battle, the martyrs are resurrected, and the devil and all who followed him are resurrected to the Great White Throne judgment, after which they are thrown into the lake of fire to be eternally tormented.
6. The new Jerusalem comes down to earth from heaven, and the Jews can continue sacrifices in memorial tribute to Christ.
7. Eternal life with no evil begins as the faithful are forever in the presence of Christ.

In his Prophecy Study Bible, Tim LaHaye (originator of the Left Behind premise) cited Isaiah 2:2-4, Ezekiel 37:21-28, and Zechariah 9:10; 14:9 (amid many other passages) as proof upholding his literal view of the Millennium. His thought was since Revelation 20 mentions the thousand years six times in seven verses, it is most certainly to be taken in a literal sense.

Within Premillennialism:

• Classic Premillennialism expects Christ to return before the millennium, and believers will go through great tribulation before He returns.
• Pretribulational Premillennialism sees Christ secretly coming to rapture His church before the seven-year tribulation. He will then visibly return after the tribulation with believers and reign on earth.

While it means virtually the same thing with a few differences, some use the word chiliasm to describe the millennium; this belief falls under the Premillennialist view.

Does Postmillennialism Treat the Millennium as Literal or Figurative?

Postmillennialism posits Christ will visibly appear after a figurative millennium (associated with Preterism with some forms of historicism). This position was the major view in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Postmillennialism believes man will make the kingdom of God ready, and the world becomes Christianized as things get better and better. Christ will then usher in His kingdom. The millennium is thus a nebulous period between Christ's first and second advents and not a literal one thousand years, while Satan is bound. In this sense, then, Christ's reign is spiritual and political.

Postmillennialists call our time a golden age in which the betterment of the world happens because of the binding of the devil and thus calls the kingdom forth (Habakkuk 2:14). Postmillennialism as a dominion theology hit a huge snag and lost many followers when World Wars I and II (and ensuing constant wars) occurred. In this mindset, the first resurrection (Revelation 20:5-6) occurs when a believer dies and experiences a transition from death to life in Christ (Ephesians 2:4-6).

Because of its political mindset, postmillennialism returns in new forms wherein the church overcomes human culture and brings righteousness as it prepares the world for Christ. They also believe humans will live longer and culture (labor and the arts) will be redeemed.

Satan, however, will be released after this age for a short period before Jesus returns. Christ will judge from heaven, rout and obliterate His enemies, and then inaugurate the new heaven and earth.

Does Amillennialism Treat the Millennium as Literal or Figurative?

Amillennialism presents the view that the symbolic millennium refers to the whole history of the church and not a literal one thousand years (a means no). Idealists typically support this idea. Amillennialism's ideas originated with Clement of Alexandria, who believed Greek philosophy had a divine origin. Clement taught all Scripture is to be interpreted allegorically. Origen of Alexandria followed suit, and Augustine of Hippo popularized the notion.

The Protestant Reformers (the foremost ones being Martin Luther, William Tyndale, John Calvin, and Ulrich Zwingli) pursued a literal approach to biblical interpretation, except prophecy. They were stalwart in seeing prophecy as allegorical.

Amillennialism teaches the promises to Israel were literal and spiritually transferred to the church. Therefore, there will be no regathering of the Jews to the promised land and no literal one-thousand-year reign of Christ. They also believe the Old Testament prophecies and the visions in Revelation correspond to the blessings and trials of the New Testament church.

Since the devil is bound, the Spirit enables the church's witness in the ongoing period of persecution and suffering. To the amillennialists, the first resurrection is those who are martyred during this epoch, and Satan cannot thwart God's plan to gather Christ's army from all nations. They look at Revelation 19:17-21 and Revelation 20:9-10 as the last battle of the thousand years.

Is There a Fourth View of the Millennium?

Added to the three views we've briefly noted is premillennial dispensationalism (Tim LaHaye was a major proponent). Dispensational premillennialists differ from classic premillennialism on the nation of Israel. They concur with classic premillennialism, except regarding the millennium, when they believe:

• the Jewish temple will be restored
• the Jews will serve a special purpose to serve the Lord on earth
• the church will serve Him spiritually.
• Christ's reign during the millennium will witness God fulfilling His promises to ethnic Israel.
• After the millennium, Jesus will destroy a last rebellion and begin a new heaven and earth for all and all eternity.

The other difference is the Dispensational Premillennialists believe in a literal 1000-year reign, while some classic premillennialists think the thousand years is symbolic.

Questions always arise when regarding each belief about the millennium:

Postmillennialism begs the question, why is there a need for Christ if man is growing the kingdom? Christ is King (1 Timothy 6:15; Revelation 17:14; 19:16).

Premillennialism makes one wonder why Christ would have to return twice, and also, since Satan is already defeated, why the great battle of Armageddon is needed?

Amillennialism rejects the idea of any literal millennium and instead looks at the millennium as symbolic. Christ still returns to usher in His physical kingdom, and amillennialism considers the Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in Christ and Christ and His church are the new Israel.

Kevin DeYoung discusses many thoughtful questions on the different views in his two-part sermon series on the millennium (here are the links for Part 1 and Part 2).

When questioned about the most reasonable view of the millennium, Dr. W. Robert Godfrey gives us a humorous yet wise response:

"The end-time view I've always found most convincing is the one that my wife holds to, which she calls the "pan-mill" view. 'It'll all pan out in the end, and Jesus will come again in glory.' That should really unite us, and we must never lose sight of what unites us. Jesus is coming again in glory. And when He comes again in glory, He'll make all things clear."

Dr. Godfrey leads a thorough and insightful teaching series on Revelation called "Blessed Hope: The Book of Revelation."

Ultimately, no matter which view of the millennium is correct (if any are), the victory is Christ's. We who have repented in faith and have surrendered to Him as Lord and Savior will forever walk in a triumphal procession with Him (2 Corinthians 2:14). Christ will undoubtedly return in bodily form. He will reign forever over the new heavens and earth. All humanity will finally bow to Him as Lord over all (Philippians 2:10; Colossians 3:11), and He will reign on earth just as He now does in heaven (Matthew 6:10; Philippians 2:10). We can all agree on that.

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/hanspw

Lisa Loraine Baker is the multiple award-winning author of Someplace to be Somebody. She writes fiction and nonfiction. In addition to writing for the Salem Web Network, Lisa serves as a Word Weavers’ mentor and is part of a critique group. Lisa and her husband, Stephen, a pastor, live in a small Ohio village with their crazy cat, Lewis. 

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This article is part of our larger End Times Resource Library. Learn more about the rapture, the anti-christ, bible prophecy and the tribulation with articles that explain Biblical truths. You do not need to fear or worry about the future!

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Signs of the End Times and the Rapture