The news was a little light last week, and I am teaching the Book of Revelation at church, so I felt led to write about some of that.
First, there are people (called Amillennialists) that don’t believe in the Millennium (a thousand-year reign of Christ), but the Bible clearly says that there will be a thousand-year reign of Christ.
The Book of Revelation clearly says the Tribulation Period martyrs will live and reign with Christ a thousand years (Rev. 20:4-5).
One thousand years is a Millennium.
Amillennialists explain this away by saying the Book of Revelation is allegory.
They say one thousand years means a long period of time, not one thousand years.
So, one difference between Millennialists and Amillennialists is that Millennialists believe in a thousand-year reign of Christ, and Amillennialists don’t believe it.
The Bible supports the Millennialist view, and there is nothing in the Bible to support the Amillennialist view (don’t add to or take away from the Bible, etc.).
This means Amillennialism is wrong because the Bible says there will be a thousand-year reign of Christ.
Some readers may not be interested in a teaching like this, but it is very important.
Some people refuse to study the Book of Revelation because Seminary professors, preachers, theologians and others have differences of opinion; but the Bible reveals the correct view, and false teachers should be called out for keeping people from studying it.
Some preachers try to be cute about it by saying, “I am a pan-millennialist. I believe everything will pan out.”
It would be better to study the Scriptures and tell people what they say.
Second, there is a debate about whether the Second Coming will be before the Millennium (pre-millennialism) or after the Millennium (post-millennialism).
In Nebuchadnezzar’s dream about the great statue, the Bible teaches that the Rock (Jesus) will destroy the kingdom of Antichrist.
After the Rock (Jesus) destroys the kingdom of Antichrist, the Rock will grow into a great kingdom and fill the earth (Dan. 2:31-35, 44-45).
This means that Jesus will come back and put an end to the reign of Antichrist before He establishes His kingdom.
The return of Jesus before He establishes His kingdom is pre-millennialism.
Here is another text:
Paul said, “For the mystery of iniquity doth already work: only he who now letteth will let, until he be taken out of the way. And then shall that Wicked be revealed, whom the Lord shall consume with the spirit of his mouth, and shall destroy with the brightness of his coming” (II Thess. 2:7-8).
The Antichrist will be removed at the Second Coming of Jesus and, as we just said, that is before the Millennium (also see Rev. 19:20).
The teaching that the Second Coming of Jesus will be before the Millennium is pre-millennialism.
Third, the Bible teaches that Jesus will reign on the earth.
The Psalmist said, “For the LORD hath chosen Zion (Jerusalem); he hath desired it for his habitation” (Psa. 132:13).
Jeremiah said, “At that time, they shall call Jerusalem the throne of the LORD; and all the nations shall be gathered unto it, to the name of the LORD, to Jerusalem: neither shall they walk any more after the imagination of their evil heart” (Jer. 3:17).
Jeremiah also said, “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 judgment and justice in the earth” (Jer. 23:5-6).
Zechariah said, “And the LORD shall be king over all the earth” (Zech. 14:9).
Matthew wrote that Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven” (Matt. 6:10).
Matthew also wrote that the King (Jesus) will come back, sit on a throne and judge the nations (Matt. 25:31-34).
The angel Gabriel told Mary that she would bear a Son, and God would give Him the throne of His father David (That was on earth in Jerusalem; Luke 1:31-32).
This is the point: The thousand-year reign of Jesus will be on earth.
To try to sum this up, the Amillennialist view is contradicted by the Bible; there will be a thousand-year reign of Jesus (called the Millennium); the pre-millennialist view is right and Jesus will reign on the earth for a thousand years.
Theologians, professors and preachers should know and teach what the Bible says, and stop confusing people on issues that contradict the Bible.
Prophecy Plus Ministries, Inc.
Daymond & Rachel Duck
duck_daymond@yahoo.com