Understanding the Millennium and 1000 Years Reign of Christ
July 23rd, 2009. Published under Faith. No Comments.
First, what is the millennium? Our English word comes from the Latin words, mille, meaning thousand. It is translated from the Greek word, chilias, meaning a thousand, and annus, meaning year. Thus, we have a thousand years.
The word millennium is used 6 times in the first seven verses of Revelation 20. But, our question is, what is the millennium all about?
The Millennium Is Introduced In Genesis Following the Sin of Adam
Shortly after God calls Adam and the Serpent to judgment for their involvement in the sin of eating from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God announces a prophecy of the defeat of Satan.
“And I will put enmity between you and the woman and between your seed and her Seed; He shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise His heel.” (Genesis 3:15, NKJV)
Anyone familiar with the writings of the Bible will quickly understand that the message here is that of Satan’s defeat and destruction by Christ who is figuratively described as crushing the serpents head or authority.
Paul references this very text in Romans 16:20, to show both the imminence and certainty of its fulfillment in his day. “And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you. Amen.”
Then, in Revelation, we find that Satan is bound for 1000 years, i.e. a millennium, but following it, he is loosed a little season, then cast into the lake of fire and destroyed, (Revelation 20:2-3, 10.). This is also the time that Death and Hades are destroyed.
The Connection of Genesis and Revelation
Genesis and Revelation are connected by the millennium. Since God prophesies the defeat of Satan, and since the millennium precedes Satan’s defeat, then it must follow that the 1000 years reign is taught by necessary inference in Genesis 3.
This shows that the millennium is connected with the defeat of death, which Adam, having suffered was in bondage.
The Purpose of Christ’s Reign
Christ dies that he might destroy him who had the power of death, i.e. the devil, (Hebrews 2:14, 1 John 3:8). But, Christ not only dies, but is also raised from the dead, and seated at God’s right hand in the heavens, (Acts 2:29-34). There, he reigns at God’s right hand until all his enemies are made his footstool, or defeated.
In 1 Corinthians 15:25-26, the text says “For he must reign until all enemies are put under his feet. The last enemy which shall be destroyed is death.” Thus, we can see the connection between all of these passages and the millennium.
It is evident from a reading of Genesis that all the righteous men who lived never attained to a thousand years. Adam died short of 1000 years, being 930 years old. Thus, in the millennium the saints live and reign with Christ a thousand years, meaning that death does not defeat them from attaining to that status.
Thousand Years Is Figurative Not Literal
The 1000 years is not a literal concept. Though 1000 is used in scripture to denote a literal time, in these passages we must not force that concept. Examples are from Exodus 34:7, where God has mercy on thousands. Does this mean literally, and that he does not have mercy on millions or billions? No, it is a figurative number that expresses God’s perfect all encompassing mercy.
Further David says God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, Psalm 50:10. Yet, God owns all the cattle wherever they may be, on the hills, in the flat lands or being transported across the oceans. He also owns those on “every” hill. Many more examples could be produced.
The number 1000 is a multiple of the numerical symbols used for perfection, i.e. 10 X 10 X 10 = 1000. Christ’s millennial reign is perfect in that during it he defeats all his enemies, and then allows the saints to reign with him eternally.
All this came to pass when Jesus returned in 70 AD, defeating Satan and death forever in the destruction of Mystery Babylon or Jerusalem.
William Bell, Th.M, is a minister, speaker and author of The Re-Examination, A Study of the Lord’s Second Coming. He also speaks regularly in Bible prophecy seminars, workshops and teleconferences. Get your copy now at http://www.allthingsfulfilled.com