The Millennium, Millennium, Millennium,Millennium

,As we come to the final two visions of John's Revelation, it is well that we review once again how the entire book is organized. We looked at that early on after examining the message John was to send to the seven churches.Then we learned that Jesus is the One worthy to open the seven seals. What follows are seven scenes or visions of these End Times. Note again the importance of symbols and the symbolical number 7.

Thus in chapters 6 - 21 seven scenes of the End Times are presented, each revealing more about what we are to expect in these last times as we await the return of our King.

1. Christ opens the Seven Seals (Rev 6:1-8:5)
2. Seven Trumpets are blown (Rev 8:6-11:19)
3. The battle between the Triune God and the Anti-Trinity (Rev. 12:1-14:20)
4. The pouring out of the Seven Bowls of Wrath (Rev 15:1-16:21)
5. Babylon, the Prostitute, is overthrown (Rev 17:1-19:21)
6. The Final Judgment (Rev 20:1-21:8)
7. The New Jerusalem, the Bride, the wife of the Lamb (Rev 21:9-22:5

Epilogue: Come, Lord Jesus! (Rev 22:6-21)

So we open chapter 20 to learn about The Final Judgment.

Michelangelo's  Downfall of Adam and Eve 

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. - Rev 20:1-6 ESV

So here we come at last to THE MILLENNIUM, the source of so very much controversy over the years. What is it? When will it begin? Is it a reference to a literal 1,000 years? etc., etc. The Blue Letter Bible gives a quick summary of four prevailing interpretations of the thousand years. They are

1. Dispensational Pre-millennialism: tribulation, rapture, 1,000 year reign of Christ, armageddon
2. Historical Pre-millennialism: rise of the Beast, False Prophet, rapture, 1,000 yr. reign, conversion of Jews.
3. Post-millennialism: after destruction of Jerusalem, gradual conversion, all nations blessed, optimism
4. A-millennialsim: Christ reigns now, church=Israel, Kingdom of God, rapture at the end

This blog's position is that of historical Lutheranism, written from an Amillennial viewpoint. The Commission on Theology and Church Relations of the Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod has published an extensive study of this topic with diagrams: The "End Times"A Study on Eschatology and Millennialism. Study that document in detail. In my next blog I will present a summary of the Amillennial view, emphasizing the importance of maintaining the understanding that the Revelation is a symbolical book, not to be interpreted literally on some occasions and symbolically on others.

Interpreting The Four Visions Of John's Revelation

As noted above, we've completed the first of the four visions of Revelation. They are as follows:

Introduction: Rev. 1:1-8 - John, who bore witness to the word of God and to the testimony of Jesus Christ who is coming with the clouds and every eye will see him.

1. Jesus and his people between his first and second comings (Rev. 1:9-3:22). John introduces the next section with the phrase "after this." 
2. Jesus and events surrounding his return (Rev. 4:1-16:21). 
3. Jesus and the two rival cities (Rev. 17:1-21:8): Babylon and Jerusalem
4. Jesus and his bride throughout eternity (Rev. 21:9-22:5)

Conclusion: Rev. 22:6-21 - Blessed are those who wash their robes so they may have the right to the tree of life and enter the New Jerusalem. No additions or subtractions to the words of this prophecy are allowed. 

As we move into a discussion of these visions it is helpful to realize that there are a number of approaches to interpreting them. These include: 

1. Amillennialism - held by most Christians up to the 1500s. Unites and equates OT Israel and NT Christians as one group. 
2. Postmillennialism - held by many N American Christians during the 1800s. Resurgence today. 
3. Historic Premillennialism - held by many during the first four centuries of the Christian era. Held by many today. Takes Rev. 20 (and even the entire book) literally.
4. Dispensational Premillennialism - divides history into either seven or three dispensations. Promises that most Christians will be raptured before the Great Tribulation. 

My own response to these various views will become clear as we move further into our study of the upcoming chapters. In his Pentecost sermon the Apostle Peter pointed out that we have entered the last days promised through the Prophet Joel 2:28-32.  

"'And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams; even on my male servants and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit, and they shall prophesy. And I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on the earth below, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke; the sun shall be turned to darkness and the moon to blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and magnificent day. And it shall come to pass that everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.' - Acts 2:17-21 ESV

In these last days God has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. - Heb 1:2-4 ESV

The Kingdom of God is at hand

So the Kingdom of God has drawn near, is at hand (Matt 4:17) now that Jesus has completed the work of the Messiah. Demons are being cast out by the Spirit of God and the kingdom of God has come upon all believing children of God (Matt 12:28; 19:14). We await the imminent return of the King. Soon now he will return in glory (Matt 25:31-32). When he returns he will sit on his glorious throne and all the nations of the world will be gathered before him.