TOPIC:“The Millennial Reign of Christ”
by Rev. Dr. Reg Dunlap
TEXT:Revelation 20:1-15
“And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years…they shall be
priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years”
(20:4, 6).
Chapter 20 is the fulfillment of many prophetic passages, written by various authors from one end of the Bible to the other, telling of the rule and reign of Christ on earth in righteousness for a thousand years. The coming golden age of peace, prosperity and righteousness was proclaimed by the prophets throughout the Old Testament and preached by Christ in the New Testament. Jeremiah wrote of the future earthly Kingdom in these words: “Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the earth” (Jeremiah 23:5).
There are three main views of interpreting the millennium which need to be considered for a proper understanding of Revelation 20:1-10. They are the premillennial, postmillennial and amillennial. Let me take a moment to explain each one of these views.
PREMILLENNIALISM, the view I believe most advantageously provides the book of Revelation with some chronological order of development and intelligence, teaches that Christ will return before His thousand-year reign on earth. I hold that Christ will establish a literal kingdom upon the earth in which He shall reign from the throne of David in Jerusalem.
AMILLENNIALISM is the view that there will be no literal millennial reign of Christ on earth after the return of Christ. It teaches that the millennium is entirely figurative in nature as it is a symbolic reign of Christ in the hearts of believers. In spiritualizing the millennium, the amillennialist applies all the verses relating to the Kingdom to the church of this age.
POSTMILLENNIALISM is the view that the thousand-year reign of Christ will be completed before the return of Christ. It teaches that the world will become progressively better through the preaching of the Gospel. This view holds that the majority of people on earth will be converted and the Kingdom of God will be extended throughout the world leading to a period of righteousness and peace. Man by his own efforts will establish a righteous kingdom, but it will be a kingdom without a king for Christ will not return until after it has been constructed. Christ will then return to judge the world and eternity will begin.
Without doubt this is not only one of the great chapters of the Bible, but it also is one of the most controversial chapters. Scholars . . .