Non-Futuristic Views of the Millennium

by Jim Crouch

1988 PSN

13 Nov 2020**

The book of Revelation speaks of individuals who will live and reign with Christ for one thousand years (Revelation 20:4). This statement has given rise to various theories, some of which are quite imaginative. The range of interpretations can be grouped into four major views: historic premillennialism, premillennial dispensationalism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. While these terms are inadequate, and actually represent entire eschatological doctrines, they do serve the purpose of distinguishing the doctrines from one another. In this study, we are concerned with the non-futuristic views of the millennium, viz., postmillennialism and amillennialism.

Postmillennialism

Postmillennialism, when broken down, means "after the 1000 years." This is in contrast with premillennialism, meaning "before the 1000 years." These terms are to be understood in reference to the second coming of Christ. Postmillennialists believe the second coming of Christ will follow the millennium of Revelation 20.

A brief synopsis of postmillennial eschatology follows.

1. First, like the premillennialist, the postmillennialist understands the millennium of Revelation 20 to represent an earthly utopia. However, as previously mentioned, he believes that this will occur prior to the second coming of Christ, as opposed to after.
2. He believes that this utopia will come about as a result of the preaching of the gospel, and man's consequent obedience to the same. The gospel will continue to have success throughout the world, until the vast majority of every nation becomes Christians. This will gradually usher in the millennium. Most acknowledge that this will not merely be the result of human effort, but rather will be the result of divine action. When God is ready to usher in the millennium, Satan will be bound, and the Holy Spirit will work in the hearts of men, convicting them of sin, and stimulating them to obey the gospel. Therefore, the only difference between the present age and the Millennial Age is more in quantity of Christians, rather than quality of life. Whereas today, Christianity is the exception in most societies, it will gradually become the accepted rule.
3. The postmillennialist does not accept the millennium as a literal one thousand year period; it is merely a long period of time, its length determined only by God's Will.
4. At the end of this earthly millennium, Satan will be released for a short time, resulting in a great apostasy. This will be in connection with the coming and revealing of the Anti-Christ.
5. The millennial age will conclude with the second coming of Christ. This return will be personal and bodily. This event will be immediately followed by the general resurrection (both just and unjust), and then the final judgment. Based on this judgment, the righteous will be rewarded and the wicked punished eternally. 

Some postmillennialists believe the Jewish nation will be converted. This is not to be confused with the premillennial theory that the Jewish state will be reborn and the Jews reinstated as God's chosen people. Rather, it is simply in fulfillment of certain unfulfilled prophecies.

History of Postmillennialism

Postmillennialists generally claim Augustine (354-430) as the father of their millennial doctrine. However, that Augustine adhered to all the postmillennial theories is highly unlikely. For example, though he believed that prophecy dictated the conversion of most of the world before Jesus' return, he believed the millen- nium stretched from the advent of Christ to His second coming. In fact, so general were his teachings on this subject, Augustine is also given credit for popularizing the doctrine of amillennialism.

From a historical perspective, it is easy to see why Augustine (and others) would expect a conversion of the world. At the time he was living, the Roman Catholic Church had gained tremendous power in the world, and was growing stronger. Seemingly, without any special intervention by God, the world would soon be converted. In this atmosphere, it is understandable that man would tend to misconstrue Bible prophecy to fit historical patterns. In fact, history often influences people's thinking about the Bible, the subject of the millennium not- with-standing.

During the Middle Ages is when postmillennial sentiments became the strongest. During the age of Roman Catholic strength, though postmillennialism was growing stronger, premillennialism was the most popular view. With the Middle Ages and Reformation Movement, premillennialism lost most of its popularity, and even became recognized as a heretical doctrine. As a result, many denominations began incorporating postmillennial ideasinto their church creeds. The Augsburg and Westminster Confessions are basically postmillennial in nature, as are the stated creeds of Lutherans, Presbyterians, and other Reformed groups.

In the past seventy-five years, postmillennialism has suffered a sharp decline in popularity. Again, this has largely been the result of historical changes. During the first one thousand years of the church's history, worldwide conversion seemed possible, and even probable. As a result, the postmillennial expectation of an earthly, Christian utopia seemed feasible. However, in recent centuries, historical trends have tended to be for the worse, rather than the better; the earthly utopia seems to be moving further away rather than closer. As a result, people have tended to re-examine their millennial beliefs, and postmillennial followings have dissipated. Today, there are very few who still hold to the classic tenets of postmillennialism.

The Principle Tenets of Postmillennialism

The Spread of the Gospel. The most distinctive feature of postmillennialism is the idea of the successful and effective preaching of the gospel to the entire world. As a result of Satan being bound and the effectual working of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of men, the gospel will permeate the world, until the whole of it converts to Christianity. This is not to say that there will be no sin in the world, nor that every individual will become a Christian. Rather, it is the belief that the vast majority of the world will be converted; Christianity will become the rule in every society of the earth, rather than the exception; and sin will be reduced to a mini- mum.

In proof of this doctrine, postmillennialists turn to such Old Testament passages as: Isaiah 45:22-25; Hosea 2:23; Psalms 47; 72; 110. However, none of these passages, taken in their proper context, are in any way conclusive of this point. One of the principle supports of this doctrine is from Matthew 24:14:

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations; and then the end will come (RSV).

Further proof of this postmillennial doctrine is found in the Great Commission ("disciple all nations"), and other similar statements by Christ in the gospels.

An external evidence that the preaching of the gospel is succeeding, and will ultimately bring about the millennium, is the vast improvement of the world's societies. Not only are individuals being redeemed, but as a result, the world is changing, accepting Christian values more and more. While the trend has its ups and downs, the slow, general progress of humanity from the flood until now has been for the better, rather than the worse. Eventually, this process will be completed, and the Millennial Age will gradually be ushered in.

The Nature of the Millennium. Postmillennialists understand the one thousand years of Revelation 20 to be purely symbolic in nature, representing a very long period of indefinite length. In classic postmillennialism, the binding of Satan is what brings about the earthly utopia that they look for, and the reigning of one thousand years occurs during this period. In interpreting Revelation 20 in this manner, the first resurrection and the reigning are figurative; and the second resurrection is interpreted variably as literal or figurative.

In discussing the postmillennialist view of the millennium, we should realize that Revelation 20 is not the basis of this view of the millennium; but rather, other passages of Scripture throughout the Bible suggesting a worldwide preaching of the gospel. In recent years, the tendency has been for postmillennialists to interpret Revelation 20 in the same way as Amillennialists, completely divorcing Revelation 20 from the earthly utopia they look for. With this interpretation, they believe that the millennium represents the present gospel age, and that Satan is bound right now. However, before this Millennial Age ends, an earthly utopia will be ushered in as a result of vast numbers of people obeying the gospel. Only after this will Jesus' second coming occur.

Obviously, Revelation 20 is of little consequence to postmillennial escha- tology. More than anything else, the millennium will be a long period of time in which Christianity will rule the earth, and Christ will reign over the people. Christ will not reign bodily on the earth, but will reign in the hearts of men, in that the population of the earth will obey His commands.

Evaluation of Postmillennialism

Post-millennialism is very positive in nature. Premillennialists and Amillennialists generally do not look for worldwide conversion, and often look for just the opposite. This tends to affect one's outlook in preaching the gospel. Postmillennialists are generally very active in preaching the gospel to the world, this being one of the natural results of its doctrine. It encourages members to actively reach for opportunities around them.

However, this is of little consequence if its teachings are not grounded in the Scriptures. Its doctrines are not based on a good exegesis of Bible text. When taken in its proper context, there are very few passages of Scripture which could possibly be construed to point to an earthly utopia as a result of the preaching of the gospel. There are no plain passages of Scripture that teach this idea at all. In addition, postmillennialism tends to ignore other plain Bible teachings concerning the last days.

Revelation 20:1-6 is the only passage of Scripture that actually deals with a millennium, yet postmillennial doctrine is not taught, or even hinted at, in these verses. Where then is the authority for defining the millennium as they do? No doubt, it is in realization of this problem that many postmillennialists are now divorcing their theory of the earthly utopia from Revelation 20, basing their doctrine solely on other passages of Scripture.

Amillennialism

Amillennialism, by definition, means, "opposed to the 1000 years." This term is somewhat misleading, for amillennialists definitely believe in the millennium. Therefore, we must understand the term to be in contrast with premillennial and postmillennial doctrine: amillennialists do not believe there will be a future earthly utopia, neither before nor after the second coming of Christ. Following is a brief sketch of amillennial eschatology.

1. The amillennialist believes that we are currently living in the Millennial Age described in Revelation 20. This age began with the first advent of Christ, and it will not end until just prior to Christ's second coming (gospel age). It is not a literal one thousand years in duration, but simply a long period determined by God's will.
2. The second coming of Christ will be immediately followed by the general resurrection of the dead, the judgment and the subsequent reward and punishment of all men in their eternal abodes. There will be no transient period of one thousand years, or any other length of time, dividing any of these events — they will follow one another in rapid sequence.
3. Amillennialists believe that Christ could return at any moment. The pre- and postmillennialists believe that certain world events must take place before Christ can return. Since the Amillennialist believes that Christ could return at any time, he generally pays far less attention to prophecies that supposedly deal with the last days or the "signs" preceding the parousia.
4. In general, Amillennialists interpret the Revelation in a more figurative sense than do pre- or postmillennialists. This is also generally true in regard to Old Testament prophecies. The prophecies that pre- and postmillennialists look to as proof of an earthly utopia, the Amillennialist generally regards as being fulfilled in the history of the church, or in the "new earth".

Historical Note

Pockets of amillennialism can be traced in the church from the first century forward. Although disputed, some scholars believe that the teachings of Barnabas are a form of amillennial eschatology. Even so, Augustine is generally given credit for developing and propagating amillennial doctrines as we know them today. In fact, amillennial and postmillennial doctrines were probably intertwined until the 19th Century, when postmillennialism evolved into the form we find it today.

With the decline of postmillennial popularity in the 20th Century, large numbers of postmillennialists have changed to accept the amillennial under- standing of the millennium. Amillennialism has grown increasingly popular over the last several decades, and this can largely be attributed to the decline of postmillennialism.

The Principle Tenets of Amillennialism

The Two Resurrections of Revelation 20. A significant element of Amillennialism is its treatment of the two resurrections of Revelation 20. "They came to life [first resurrection] and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended [second resurrection]" (v. 4b-5). The classical amillennial interpretation of this verse is that the first resurrection is a figurative resurrection (which occurs at baptism — resurrection of the spirit), and the second resurrection is the bodily resurrection of all men. Some Amillennialists of recent years have understood the second resurrection to be spiritual as well. While there are many variations of this theory, the result is the same: there will not be two separate resurrections, one of the righteous, one of the unrighteous, with a literal one thousand years separating the two.

The Nature of the Millennium. The Amillennialist defines the one thousand years of Revelation 20 figuratively as representing the gospel age. Satan is now bound until the end of the age. The number "1000" is symbolic. It is formed by adding the number seven (a sacred number of perfection) and the number three (a sacred number of completion). The result is the number "10" which would then represent "sacred perfection or completion." The number "1000" is merely the number "10" to the third power, stressing the absolute completion of that which is described.

That the Amillennialists interpretation of the millennium is correct is dependent entirely upon his method of interpreting the entire book of Revelation being correct. The millennial teaching of Revelation 20 directly follows the second coming of Christ recorded in Chapter 19. This is what leads premillennialists to understand a millennial age to follow the second coming of Christ. To avoid this, Amillennialists generally see the book of Revelation as being divided into different sections or divisions (usually seven), with each section covering the same period, or different period of time, viz., from the first advent of Christ until the end of the gospel age. In keeping with this theme, Revelation 20-22 forms the final division. If this interpretation is correct, the events of Revelation 20 do not describe events that follow the second coming of Christ, but rather take a step backwards in history. The figurative number "1000" then extends from this point until the completion of the age, or Christ's second advent.

Evaluation of Amillennialism

In favor of amillennialism, this doctrine recognizes that the book of Revelation utilizes a great deal of symbolism, as do many Old Testament prophecies. The Amillennialist generally does a good job of incorporating this general fact in his interpretation of Scripture. He does more than look at the words and their definitions; he then attempts to harmonize the text with the overall context of the Bible, the book, and the culture of the writer.

The Amillennialist view of Revelation 20 does not conflict with other Bible teaching. This is important, for we should always allow the plain Bible passages to help interpret the more difficult passages rather than vice-versa. Also, the amillennial understanding of Revelation 20 does not conflict with historical trends. In fact, amillennialism allows for either an improvement or deterioration of conditions, believing that this has no bearing on Bible eschatology.

On the negative side, classic Amillennialism is inconsistent in its interpretation of the two resurrections of Revelation 20—one is spiritual, one is physical. The same Greek word is used in both verse 4 and verse 5 ("they lived"-- ezesan). These words are used "back-to-back" and there is seemingly nothing in the passage dictating that the word should be understood differently in verse 4 than in verse 5. There is no contextual reason to interpret them differently, and probably indicates a poor exegesis to do so.

Along this same line, the passage says that the martyrs and those who did not worship the beast lived and reigned with Christ during the millennium. Then the passage says that the rest of the dead (everyone else) did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. The purpose of verses 4-6 is to make this contrast between two groups. The contextual implication is that those who participate in the first resurrection do not participate in the second resurrection. Classic Amillennial- ism states that the first resurrection is spiritual (generally referring to baptism) and that the second resurrection is the bodily resurrection of all men. This all being true, those who obey the gospel would not participate in the second resurrection, the bodily resurrection of man (this is reserved for the rest of the dead). The phrase, "but the rest of the dead" contrasts two groups of people — those who participate in the first resurrection, and those who do not.

Another small problem with the Amillennial position that the first resurrection is baptism is the statement in Revelation 20:6, "on such the second death hath no power." The second death is the "lake of fire" (v. 14), or final the punishment. The indication is that those who are baptized cannot be cast into the lake of fire. Those who propagate the impossibility of apostasy sometimes use this interpretation as proof of this fact.

Exegesis of Revelation 20:1-6

Correct interpretation of the book of Revelation as a whole is crucial to a proper interpretation of Revelation 20. The close of Revelation 19 clearly speaks of the second coming of Christ. If Revelation 20 follows Revelation 19 chronolog- ically, then the millennium would come after the parousia. This, of course, is the reasoning that premillennialists use to establish the time of the millennium. That this interpretation is incorrect is evident in light of many other clear passages in the New Testament.

Revelation 20 then does not follow chapter 19 chronologically. Rather, it takes us back in time to the beginning of the gospel age, and it opens the final section of the book of Revelation. Contained in this section is: the binding of Satan (20:1-3); the thousand year reign (20:4-6); the final battle with Satan and his defeat (20:7-10); the final judgment (20:11-13); the final punishment of the wicked (20:14-15); a description of the final reward for the faithful (21:1 - 22:5).

Our passage of interest is easily divided into two main parts: 1) Verses 1-3, which deal with the binding of Satan, and 2) Verses 4-6, which deal with the millennial reign.

The Binding of Satan

John sees a vision of an angel who unlocks a great pit (abyss). He casts Satan into the pit, and secures him there with a chain and a seal, where he will remain for one thousand years. The objective of the binding is clear: to prevent him from deceiving the nations during the millennium (v. 3).

The number "one thousand" is symbolic. Some explain that it is formed by adding the number 7 (a sacred number of perfection) and the number 3 (a sacred number of completion). The result is the number "10" which would then represent "sacred perfection and completion." The number "1000" is merely the number "10" to the third power, stressing the absolute completion of that which is described. That this reasoning is correct is a matter of dispute. However, the probability that this number is figurative is evident from the very nature of the book, as well as the figurative nature of the immediate passage. Without dispute, the seal, chain and lock are clearly figurative, for these could never literally bind a spirit being such as Satan.

The one thousand years then are not literal, but represent a long period of time to be determined by God's will. As the term "years" denotes a period of time, it is necessary to understand the one thousand years as representative of a long period of time or possibly a complete age. During this period, Satan is bound, unable to deceive the nations. This millennial period extends from the ministry of Jesus until just before the end of time. That Satan was bound while Christ was on the earth is evident from Scripture. Notice the wording and context of Matthew 12:27-29.

“And if I cast out demons by Beelzebul, by whom do your sons cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges. But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. How can one enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house” (RSV).

The implication of this verse is obvious. Jesus had just cast a demon from a man who was previously blind and dumb before Jesus healed him. Some of the people began thinking that Jesus might be the Messiah, but the Pharisees murmured that He was actually casting out demons by the power of Beelzebul (Satan). Jesus first shows the fallacy of such reasoning by stating that a house divided against itself cannot stand (vv. 25-26). It would be unwise indeed for Satan to cast out his own demons. But next, Jesus explains His power to cast out the demons (v. 29). Jesus is dealing specifically with Satan and Satan's kingdom. Satan represents the strong man, and Jesus plainly says that he (Satan) has been bound. The fact that Jesus could cast out demons was evidence of this binding. 

Another clear passage to this effect is found in Luke 10:17-18. After the seventy disciples had returned from a preaching tour, they were pleased that they were able to cast out demons in Jesus' name. Concerning this, Jesus said, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." Further, Jesus mentions that, as a result of His crucifixion, Satan would be "cast out" (John 12:31-32). The word used here for "cast out" is the same phrase used in our text where the angel is said to have "cast" Satan into the bottomless pit. 

Further, the "reigning on thrones" of Revelation 20:4 is strikingly similar to the promise Jesus made to the apostles in Matthew 19:28. In this passage, the time frame involved is the "period of regeneration," an obvious reference to the gospel age. 

These passages make it easy to interpret the binding of Satan in Revelation 20:1-3 as an event that took place during the ministry of Christ and that will extend until the end of the age. We should understand that Satan being bound does not mean that he would exert no influence over the world. It simply means that he would be restricted to the point that he could not deceive the nations of the world. This is clearly stated by John. Satan would be unable to have power over (superseding) the power of the gospel. This truth is taught in other New Testament passages, and forms one of the principal themes of the book of Revelation. 

It is sensible to think then that the power of the gospel is what has bound Satan, and would therefore be representative of the chain in Revelation 20:1. Note that each of the passages above which indicate that Satan is currently bound involve the establishing of Christ's kingdom and the preaching of the gospel. It is also possible that the preaching of the gospel is what keeps Satan bound during this gospel age. 

The Millennial Reign

Classic amillennialism states that these verses deal with two resurrections: the first (v. 4) is spiritual, and is a type of the resurrection that occurs at baptism; the second (v. 5) is literal, and refers to the bodily resurrection of the dead prior to the judgment. I believe only one resurrection is spoken of in these verses, but that it is explained from two different perspectives: one positive, one negative. 

One of the keys to understanding this passage is the statement of verse four, "I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their testimony to Jesus. . ." Though this word "soul" (psuchas) sometimes refers to those who are alive on the earth (1 Peter 3:20), it is obvious that John here has reference to those who have passed from this earth to the intermediate state (they had been beheaded). There is some question as to whether John sees only one group of people, or two or three separate groups in this intermediate state. It seems likely that John is referencing at least two groups One was a group of martyrs, and the other was those who had lived faithful Christian lives, having neither received the mark of the beast, nor worshipped him. Christ had promised the church at Laodicea that those who overcame in this life would receive the right to sit on thrones with Him. Revelation 20:4 is a possible fulfillment of this promise. So understood, John sees the souls of all Christians in the intermediate state, some of which had died a martyr's death. The separation of the body and soul at death; the death of the body, and the resuming of the life of the soul in the intermediate state is here called a type of resurrection. 

Ezesan means "to live, or come to life." It is from the Greek root, zao. This root is only used one other time in reference to souls of the intermediate state (Luke 20:37-38). It is used in reference to bodily resurrection (Matthew 9:18; Rom. 14:9; 2 Cor. 13:4). It is also used in other ways, such as to refer to the fact that God lives (Revelation 4:9-10; 7:2) and seeming in reference to spiritual life of believers in Revelation 3:1. The fact that it refers to a type of resurrection in Revelation 20:4-5 is evident from the statement in verse six, "this is the first resurrection." 

Admittedly, this poses a bit of a problem with this interpretation of Revelation 20:4 —how do souls living in the intermediate state fit the figure of a resurrection (vv. 4, 6)? However, this is not an insurmountable difficulty. John is speaking of individuals that have died physically, and yet he sees them now as living and reigning with Christ. The fact that they had died is obvious; the fact that they were now alive is also obvious. Also, the figure is consistent due to the change in state that takes place. Physical life for these individuals has come to an end, and a new kind of life has begun in the spirit world. Certainly this type of transition is what occurs in a resurrection. It should also be noted that scholars are in dispute concerning the genuineness of this phrase in the text. These souls "lived and reigned with Christ" for one thousand years. The one thousand years of verses four and five should be understood as being the same period as the one thousand years of verses two and three, viz., the gospel age. The phrase "with Christ" describes both the living and the reigning: they lived with Christ, and they reigned with Christ. Whether this living and reigning with Christ is literal or figurative is a matter of some dispute, and could easily be interpreted either way. Possibly Christ has personal contact with the righteous souls of the intermediate state (cf. Phili- ppians 1:23, 2 Corinthians 5:8). However, the living with Christ could be a figurative expression of their past lives in contrast to their new state in paradise.

Verse four deals with the righteous dead, and now verse five deals with "the rest of the dead" or the unrighteous dead. The Greek word for "rest" (loipois) is properly defined as "the remainder; what is left over." It seems that the purpose of verse five is to contrast two different groups: those of verse four with "the remainder" or everyone not included in verse four. The rest of the dead did not live until the thousand years were ended. The word "again" is found in the KJV text, but is easily left out, as it is not inherent in the definition of this Greek phrase. It is the same word as used in verse 4, and is there translated, "they lived." This is a proper translation. The phrase could be understood to be in an ingressive aorist tense, in which case "they began to live" or "they lived again" would be the correct reading (A. T. Robertson, Word Pictures in the New Testament). However, there is nothing in the word itself that demands this rendering. It is accurately translated by definition, "they lived."

Further, we should understand that the word "until" (achri) does not always denote a change that is to take place after a certain point. For example, note the reading of Romans 5:13: "For until (achri) the law, sin was in the world." However, we should not understand this passage to mean that sin disappeared after the law was given. Sin was in the world until the law, but sin was also in the world after the law, and is still in the world today (cf. 2 Samuel 6:23). John uses this word in a similar manner in this passage. The phrase "until the thousand years were finished" has the same force as saying, "during the thousand years."

Verse five is actually a parenthetical thought introduced by John, and is so rendered in the NIV and other translations. It is not meant to introduce a completely new thought or teaching. It should be understood in light of what is said in the close of verse four. Therefore, we should not understand the word "live" (ezesan) in verse five to be a reference to living in general. By context, it is a special kind of living as defined by verse four. In other words, it is not that the rest of the dead do not live at all; this is not the point of discussion. Rather, the rest of the dead do not live with Christ. What one group does, the other does not do—this should be the limit to the interpretation. One group lives and reigns with Christ; the other group does not live and reign with Christ.

The natural conclusion then is that the unrighteous dead (in torments) do not live and reign with Christ during the gospel age (literally or figuratively); however, neither will they live and reign with Christ after the millennium. The word "until" does not necessarily suggest that they will live after the one thousand years are over. Understood in this way, John deals with only one resurrection in Revelation 20:1-6. It is a figurative resurrection that only the righteous dead participate in. This perfectly fits the language of verse five, "this is the first resurrection." The fact that there is a first resurrection for the righteous implies that there will be a second resurrection. Though not mentioned here, it is taught in many other passages, and is implied 20:11-12. The second resurrection is a literal, bodily resurrection that all men, righteous and unrighteous, and will occur at the end of time.

Verse six is then easily explained. Those who participate in the first resurrection are blessed, as they are comforted in paradise, and the second death (lake of fire, v. 14) cannot harm them. Their faithful life on earth has been completed and their reward has been sealed. On the other hand, the lake of fire will have power over those who do not live and reign with Christ during the gospel age, i.e., over those who have not lived faithful lives. What will happen to these two groups of people after the millennium is described in the following verses of this section of the book.

Conclusion

John gives a brief, broad view of the Christian age, represented here by the term "one thousand years." In verses 1-3, John describes what effect the millen- nium has on the earth — Satan is unable to overcome the gospel and deceive the nations; in verses 4-6, John describes the effect this same period has on those who have passed this life — the righteous live and reign With Christ, and the unrighteous do not live and reign with Christ.

Therefore, John only deals with one resurrection in these verses, and it is a figurative resurrection which describes the faithful Christians who have passed from this life to a new life in paradise. The righteous participate in this event, but the unrighteous do not. The literal, bodily resurrection of all men is not dealt with in these verses, but is implied in verses 11-13 of this chapter, just prior to the general judgment

This is one of many amillennial interpretations of Revelation 20:1-6. This is admittedly not the most important passage of the New Testament, and its interp- retation is obscured by the figurative language involved. However, in light of the importance premillennialists are placing on this passage, and in light of the popularity of premillennial doctrines today, a good exegesis of this passage becomes necessary. Our aim in this article is to promote further study of this passage.

References

Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, The. Robert G. Clouse, editor. Downers Grove, Illinois: InterVarsity Press, 1977, 223 pp.

Contemporary Options In Eschatology. Millard J. Erickson. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House Company, 1977, 197 pp.

Amillennialism Today. William E. Cox. Philadelphia, Pa.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1966, vii + 143 pp., paper.

Bible and the Future, The. Anthony A. Hoekema. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1979, xi + 343 pp.

Biblical Doctrine of Last Things, The. David Lipe, editor. Kosciusko, Miss.: Magnolia Bible College, 1984, 249 pp.

A Vision of the Ages. B. W. Johnson. St. Louis, Mo.: Christian Publishing Company, 1881, 360 pp.

Revelation 20:4-6 and the Question of the Millennium. James A. Hughes. Millennium, The. Leslie Thomas.

Worthy Is the Lamb: An Interpretation of Revelation. Ray Summers.

Word Pictures in the New Testament. A. T. Robertson. Nashville, Tenn.: Broadman Press, 1933, pp. 457-460.

Other Commentaries: J. B. Coffman on Revelation; J. T. Hinds on Revelation: Albert Barnes on Revelation.