Four Views about the Millennium
Revelation 20:1-10

Historic Premillennialism

➢ Primary belief among believers for the first three centuries
➢ Believers are looking for Christ to return and establish his kingdom on earth
➢ Times will get worse until Jesus returns
➢ A 1,000-year rule of Christ on earth will fulfill many OT prophesies; Satan
will be bound, and Jesus will rule with a rod of iron
➢ At the end of the millennium, Satan will be allowed to lead a rebellion
against Jesus at which time he will be crushed. Satan and evil spirits along
with all unbelievers will be judged and punished for eternity
Scripture: Isaiah 11:6-9; Psalm 2:9 with Revelation 2:27; Psalm 110:1;
Hebrews2:7-8; 8:8-13; Romans 11:26; Revelation 19-20
Benefits:
➢ Motivated to evangelize all nations
➢ Pray and look for Christ’s return
➢ A strong sense of judgment that inspires holy living
Weaknesses:
➢ Pessimism about society and little motivation to work toward improving the
lives of the disadvantaged
➢ Suspicious, in fact, of social ministries

Dispensational Premillennialism

➢ God works differently in different periods – or dispensations – of time
➢ Sharp distinction between Israel and the church
➢ OT promises to Israel are to be taken literally and will be fulfilled in the
millennium
➢ Secret rapture before, during, or after a seven-year tribulation, which
precedes the millennial reign of Christ
Scripture: Isaiah 32; Ezekiel 37-48; Daniel 7:23-27; Matthew 24-25; Hebrews
12:28; Revelation 3:21; 7:14
Benefits:
➢ Takes the OT seriously – broad knowledge of Scripture
➢ Strong evangelistic impulse, especially for the Jews (Romans 1:16)
➢ Always looking for Jesus’ return
Weaknesses:
➢ Extremely complex system – charts
➢ Anticipation of Jesus’ return can almost lead to a desire for worsening social
systems

Amillennialism

➢ The kingdom is spiritual, not physical – Revelation 20 recapitulates
(describes the same event in another way) Revelation 19
➢ The kingdom, according to Jesus, is already (Mt 11:4-6; 12:29; Mk 1:15; Lk
11:20), but not yet (Mt 6:10; Mk 9:1; Lk 17:20-21)
➢ The rapture will be public, not secret; antichrist and tribulation are symbolic
Scripture: Mark 3:25-27; 2 Peter 3:13; Revelation 20:1-6
Strengths:
➢ Already/not yet emphasis
➢ Service to King Jesus is present, not future
➢ Understands that grace binds OT and NT together
Weaknesses:
➢ Possible apathy toward evangelism and Jesus’ return
➢ While Christ is present during his reign, it is only in/from heaven

Postmillennialism

➢ The spread of the gospel will make the world a better place
➢ Jesus will return after the millennium
➢ Popular during times of peace and advances in society
Scripture: Psalm 2:7-9; Matthew 13:31-32; 28:18-20; Hebrews 2:5-9
Strengths:
➢ Focus on evangelism
➢ Focus on improving society according to God’s laws/ways
➢ Strive for peace and justice in progress
Weaknesses:
➢ WWI, WW2, Ungodly rulers
➢ Fails to account for increasingly troubled times on the earth, prophesied by
Jesus
➢ Jesus is not here to reign
➢ Temptation to Utopian impulse, seeking to silence opponents of the gospel
through force