Arguments
in Favor:
Revelation 20 and 21, if read literally and in
sequence seems to indicate a millennial reign before the judgment of the
wicked and the creation of new heavens and earth. Revelation 20:4–21:1.
4 Then I saw thrones and seated on
them were those who had been given authority to judge. I also saw the souls of
those who had been beheaded because of the testimony about Jesus and because of
the word of God. These had not worshiped the beast or his image and had refused
to receive his mark on their forehead or hand. They came to life and reigned
with Christ for a thousand years. 5 (The rest of the dead did not come to life
until the thousand years were finished.) This is the first resurrection. 6
Blessed and holy is the one who takes part in the first resurrection. The
second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of
Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years. 7 Now when the
thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison 8 and will
go out to deceive the nations at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog,
to bring them together for the battle. They are as numerous as the grains of
sand in the sea. 9 They went up on the broad plain of the earth and encircled
the camp of the saints and the beloved city, but fire came down from heaven and
devoured them completely. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into
the lake of fire and sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet are too, and
they will be tormented there day and night forever and ever. 11 Then I saw a
large white throne and the one who was seated on it; the earth and the heaven
fled from his presence, and no place was found for them. 12 And I saw the dead,
the great and the small, standing before the throne. Then books were opened,
and another book was opened—the book of life. So the dead were judged by what
was written in the books, according to their deeds. 13 The sea gave up the dead
that were in it, and Death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and
each one was judged according to his deeds. 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown
into the lake of fire. This is the second death—the lake of fire. 15 If
anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, that person was thrown
into the lake of fire. 21:1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the
first heaven and earth had passed away, and the sea existed no more.
Prophetic passages seem to promise a reign of Israel
from a rebuilt Jerusalem over its enemies, who come and bow down to them (Isa
11:1-9, 14; 14:12; 60:1-14; Zech 14). This is only possible if the wicked are
still upon the earth. Postmillennialists make this argument against
Amillennialism as well.
Arguments
Against:
1.
The natural world seems to be
transformed at the time of the resurrection of God’s people (Rom 8:18–23), not
a thousand years later. The passage is as follows.
18 For I consider
that our present sufferings cannot even be compared to the coming glory that
will be revealed to us. 19 For the
creation eagerly waits for the revelation of the sons of God. 20 For the creation was subjected
to futility—not willingly but because of God who subjected it—in hope 21 that the creation itself will
also be set free from the bondage of decay into the glorious freedom of God’s
children. 22 For we
know that the whole creation groans and suffers together until now. 23 Not only this, but we
ourselves also, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we
eagerly await our adoption, the redemption of our bodies.
2.
Prophetic
passages in the Old Testament should not be used to confirm a specific
eschatology. Passages like Isaiah 11:1-9, 14;
14:12, 60:1-14, and Zech 14, as well as other prophecies relate a promise of a
“this age” physical kingdom that has some microcosmic similarities to the
eternal state, even using the language of the eternal state (“new heavens and
new earth” for example in Isaiah 66) are contingent promises given to
Judah/Israel concerning what God will do for them when He brings them back into
the land from deportation and exile. This is why they contain elements concerning
sacrifices, the Levitical priesthood, and various other ordinances given to national
Israel and are distinct to it. What is promised comes always with an implicit
contingency, like all prophecy, and is based on the faithfulness or lack thereof
of its recipients. If the Jews had been faithful when they got back in the
land, they would have received this earthly picture of eternity in the here and
now. They, however, are not faithful when they get back in the land and so
these promises of a this-worldly physical kingdom are never realized. They
could have been the priests God made them to be and microcosmically pictured
the eternal state in harmony with God in the here and now, but decided to
reengage in idolatry and sexual immorality when they got back in the land by
marrying daughters of foreign gods, disregarding the ministry of God, the poor,
etc. Hence, as Daniel 9, Ezra-Nehemiah, etc. argue, they remain under judgment.
The use of prophesy by those seeking to establish some millennial view is
mistaken in its methodology. As God promises judgment to Nineveh without any
sign of offering them an alternative if they repent, those promises are not
carried out in Jonah’s story because all prophecy, whether explicitly stating
it or not, is contingent upon the repentance or lack thereof of its recipients.
Hence, these passages only present what could have been had Israel been
faithful to its physically-beneficial Mosaic covenant. They were not. Hence,
the New Testament looks toward the physically-beneficial eternity promised to
it while enjoying the fruit of its spiritual benefits and promises now. There
are no physical promises of a this-worldly/already nature repeated in the New
Testament. The already is spiritual and the not-yet is physical (e.g.,
resurrection of the spirit in regeneration already, but resurrection of the
physical body not yet). Hence, none of these Old Testament prophecies should be
used to secure a particular view of the millennium. What they depict, even
according to some of their own language, is the eternal state of the new
heavens and new earth promised to Christians (Rom 8; Rev 20–21).
3.
Christ’s last enemy is death according
to 1 Corinthians 15:22–28, but in Premillennialism, Christ destroys death via
the resurrection of His people and then destroys human enemies and Satan after
the millennium (Rev 20). One could argue that death is not destroyed until the
wicked are also raised, but again, 1 Corinthians 15:23-28 seems to indicate
that death is destroyed at the resurrection of the saints and the immediate
destruction of the powers of the world at the same time. It must be admitted,
however, that it is possible to work this text out in a Premillennial scheme by
simply arguing that the text does not explicitly say this. Instead, one could
argue that the powers are officially disarmed at the defeat of the wicked,
death of the wicked is the final blow to death itself (i.e., nothing else will
ever die), and then the Son hands the heavenly seat back over to the Father.
Although many might say vv. 51–55 indicate otherwise, this too is not without
its own ambiguity.
4.
2 Peter 3:10–13 seems to indicate
that the coming of the Lord in v. 4 is parallel to the day of the Lord in v. 10
that includes the judgment of the wicked and the world, and that the new
heavens and earth follow immediately after the coming of Christ. The text reads
as follows.
10 But the day
of the Lord will come like a thief; when it comes, the heavens will disappear
with a horrific noise, and the celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze, and
the earth and every deed done on it will be laid bare. 11 Since all these things are to
melt away in this manner, what sort of people must you be, conducting your
lives in holiness and godliness, 12 while waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God?
Because of this day, the heavens will be burned up and dissolve, and the
celestial bodies will melt away in a blaze! 13
But, according to his promise, we are waiting for new
heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness truly resides.
5.
Matt 25:31-46 indicates that there
is at least an immediate judgment of the righteous and wicked within the
church, which would indicate that there are two different judgments of the
wicked if a millennial kingdom is brought into the mix. This is not so much a
problem, but it does add information that gives a different picture than that
presented in Revelation 20, where only one judgment of the wicked is indicated.
6.
2 Thes 1:5–10 seems to indicate
that all the wicked will be destroyed at the coming of Christ.
5 This is evidence
of God’s righteous
judgment, to
make you worthy
of the kingdom of God,
for which in
fact you are suffering. 6 For it is right
for God to repay
with affliction those who afflict
you, 7 and to you
who are being afflicted to give
rest together with us
when the Lord Jesus
is revealed from
heaven with
his mighty angels.
8 With flaming fire
he will mete out punishment on those who do not
know God
and do not obey
the gospel of our
Lord Jesus.
9 They will undergo
the penalty of eternal
destruction, away from the presence
of the Lord and
from the glory
of his strength,
10 when he comes
to be glorified among
his saints and
admired on that
day among all
who have believed—and you
did in fact believe our
testimony.
Revelation does not present merely one timeline and sequence of events. The book itself is made up of cycles that refer to the same deliverance of Christians and the destruction of the wicked world. In Revelation 6 and 7, the world is destroyed through human wars that bring about famine, disease, and death, ending in the Lamb pouring out His wrath upon the corrupt cosmos. There are Christians both in heaven and upon the earth while He does this (Chapter 7), and the first cycle ends with the martyrs in the presence of God and Christ shepherding them (again, this is after the world has been destroyed). In Chapter 11, the end of the next cycle, the world ends with Christians being persecuted, resurrected, and immediately becomes the kingdom of Christ looking back on the fact that the wicked have all been destroyed because the day of their wrath had come. In Chapter 16, the end comes with a giant earthquake and all of the islands sink into the sea and all of the mountains collapse. Finally, in chapters 19 and 20, Christ ends the reign of the wicked world by just fighting the armies of the wicked, setting up a thousand year reign after the resurrection of the martyrs, and then wipes the rest of humanity and creation out after that reign. Whereas one can attempt to harmonize all of this, these are conflicting descriptions if taken literally. It is more likely that John is using multiple schemes found within Second Temple Judaism, not in order to convey a timeline or actual series of events, but rather the generic picture the apostles are given that Christ will destroy the wicked world and those who follow Him will reign with Him forever. Hence, taking the millennium in Chapter 20 as a literal depiction of the future that John somehow knows may be a mistake.
Hence, there are arguments to support a Premillenial view and arguments against it. This is not because Scripture contradicts itself, but due to the fact that the authors are using more than one scenario as a temporal framework in order to communicate what they do know about Christ's second coming and how Christians should live in light of it.
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