READ | SERMON NOTES
Summary l According to Michael Wilcock, seven visions are described in today’s passage. In the first vision, a rider leads the armies of heaven. This is Jesus, the king of kings and lord of lords, who arrives and is clothed in a robe dipped in his own blood. Secondly, an angel confidently announces the victory of the one who leads the armies of heaven. The third vision reveals the defeat of the beast, the false prophet and the kings of the earth, who fought against the leader of the armies of heaven. The fourth vision describes the devil seized and bound for a thousand years. The fifth vision shows the people of God reigning with Christ for a thousand years. The vision includes the devil, who upon his release from prison, tries to deceive the world again. But the devil is ultimately thrown into the lake of fire and sulphur. The sixth vision, describes the final judgment. The seventh vision describes the new creation. The focus is clearly on Jesus, the son of God.
Millennial reign
There is much debate on the millennial reign of Jesus. There are three views on when Christ’s reign will occur and whether it will be a literal earthly kingdom.
Premillennial – this view believes that Jesus’ second coming, will occur before the 1000 years. It is rooted in the belief that the descriptions and sequence in the book of Revelation are literal. We are now in the church age. At some point, Jesus will return, bind satan, resurrect the dead believers and set up the kingdom of saints on earth. A thousand years later, satan will be released from prison, and will once again attempt to destroy the saints; but satan will fail and be destroyed. There will be the resurrection of the rest of the dead, the judgment and final destruction of the wicked. This ushers in a new creation. (new heaven and earth) The premillennial view only emerged in the 18th century. A concern is that such a literal view may lead to excessive speculation and debates over dates. It also tends toward pessimism, with a focus on fleeing, rather than preparing for suffering, which can be transformative. It underestimates the power of the Gospel to transform individuals and societies. The strength of this view, however, is that confidence in the nearness of Christ’s return, brings with it a renewed zeal.
Postmillennial — this view believes that Jesus will return only after the 1000 years. At that point, there will be a literal binding of satan and resurrection of the saints. For the postmillennial, there will be a special period of 1000 years where good triumphs evil. During this 1000 year period, the church finally lives out the gospel of the kingdom and the world is wonderfully influenced and transformed. The reign of Jesus already began with His ascension. The reign of Jesus currently exists and continues through the preaching of the Word and the work of the Holy Spirit. It will ultimately transform society. This view is the most optimistic of the three views. A concern is that it does not take the reality of sin and evil seriously enough. There could be less zeal, complacency and reduced watchfulness. However, this view has the most confidence in the transforming power of the Gospel and evangelism of the church.
Amillennial – this view also believes that Jesus is already reigning. The 1000-year reign of Christ is understood symbolically rather than literally. The only difference with the postmillennial view is when satan was bound. The amillennial view is that satan was bound at Jesus’s first coming. Jesus’s spiritual and inward kingdom is present right now. The millennial reign of Jesus happens before the final battle. The reign started 2000 years ago, when a new king was born. The apostle John reminds us that satan was bound during the time of Jesus’ earthly life and ministry. Jesus announced the good news that the kingdom of God has come. (Mk 1:12-15) Jesus has informed that Satan has been bound and was liberating the people from demonic forces (Mark 3:27). The amillennial view is the oldest interpretation dating back to 2 AD. A concern is that viewing the millennium as a symbolic, may not take sin and the imminent return of Jesus seriously enough.
Thoughts on the Three Views
- All three options were developed by equally committed disciples of Jesus. There will be others who hold different views concerning the millennium. We must allow others the benefit of the doubt, if they hold a different view. We assume good intentions on their part. We should approach them privately with the primary intention to clarify and understand them, rather than to put them in their place.
- There is no perfect view. Each view both grasps truth and misses truth. None of the three view is watertight. Nonetheless, each view offers some spiritual value.
- The 1000 years is a symbol of the reign. It is not a statistic – not a literal 1000 years.
What we ought to focus on when thinking about the millennium:
We must believe the gospel has the power to change things, as we live with the reign of Christ in our lives.
Jesus is already king of kings and lord of lords. If so, is Jesus reigning in me today? Is Christ the king in my head, heart, hands and habits?
Since Jesus is already king, the church is not a helpless victim.
PONDER | REFLECTION QUESTIONS
- Study Scripture
a. Read Revelation 19:11 – 21:8. What stands out to you?
b. What are some of the key scenes in these passages? - Recall Sermon
a. What are the 3 interpretations for the 1000 years/millennium?
b. What is the Amillennialism view about? What do you agree or disagree about this view?
c. cWhat is the Premillennialism view about? What do you agree or disagree about this view?
d. What is the Postmillennialism view about? What do you agree or disagree about this view? - Relate Personally
a. What has God impressed upon your heart from today’s discussion?
b. How is today’s session prompting you to pray? Are there people whom God has impressed on your heart to intercede for? - Commit to Action
a. What discipleship step would you take in response to this week’s discussion?
