The chronological structure of the book of revelation. Revelation 20 is the twentieth chapter of the book of revelation or the apocalypse of john in. What is meant by the years mentioned in the book of. The symbolical numbers of the book of revelation uk apologetics. Revelation twenty describes dead saints souls in heaven ruling with christ during the new testament period. Trumpets, beasts, and a thousand year reignthe book of revelation often generates curiosity and confusion. Enduring word bible commentary revelation chapter 20. The book of revelation also called the revelation of john or the revelation of st. The greek name of the bible book of revelation, apoka. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the devil and satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
A thousand years it must be observed, that two distinct thousand years are mentioned throughout this whole passage. So is a thousand years of peace coming before the devil returns to deceive all nations. The interpretation of the days in genesis 1 and the meaning of the thousand years in revelation 20 are related due to the use of numbers and measurements of time in the bible. Since the term 1,000 years, in the sense of the millennial reign, is found only in. Revelation 20 bible commentary wesleys explanatory notes. Robert godfrey guides us through the book of revelation chapter by chapter. A short study of revelation 20s 1,000 years, part 1. Revelation study resources an overview of revelation multimedia training kit covers the book of revelation verse by verse. This text is the most controversial in the book of revelation, and. The book of revelation complements many old testament prophecies, including this one. They came to life and reigned with christ for a thousand years.
The vision of a thousandyear period of bliss for the faithful, to be enjoyed here in the physical world as heaven on. However the book of revelation is understood, the majority of the things it discusses must be about. Know that the 1,000 years referred to in the book of revelation means just that. The book of revelation lions leopards and bears oh my. Who are the people who are living in the year period in. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Book of revelation series 1,000 year reign of christ, rev. Jul 03, 2018 because during the thousand years billions who died before armageddon will be resurrected. A short study of revelation 20s 1,000 years, part 1 editors note. Feb 06, 2011 i want to offer some thoughts on revelation ch 20 vv110. So, the divine author of revelation is jesus christ and the human author is the apostle john. At this point, it will be useful to read again very carefully the text of revelation 20. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of god and of christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years revelation 20. It is found in no other passages within the book of revelation.
If it was meant to be something different then it would have been given a different time. He had gone to great churches throughout his life, but he told me something startlinghe said that in all his years of going to church, he had never heard a series on the book of revelation, not one single time in his entire life. And another book was opened, which is the book of life. This is the event that inaugurates the tribulation period. Satan or the red dragon is under gods control for 1,000 years. Premillennialist believe in the literal interpretation of revelation 20. Stott, ivp, 1975 sees revelation as organized into 8 scenes, each composed of 7 sections.
Then he will be let loose for a while to test the nations one last time, after which he will never be seen by gods people again. It is not found in the words of jesus in the gospels. It is only found in this passage within the book of revelation. The book of revelation was written to warn the jews in israel and throughout the middle east what was going to happen to them during the end times age which started at the resurrection of jesus christ, and really starts ramping up in 70 ad when rome levels jerusalem, as jesus speaking about the jews foretold in matthew chapter 24. The thousand year reign the book of revelation, chapter 20, is the only new testament account of the thousand year reign of christ. Satan shall be loosed out of his prison see revelation 20. The thousand years of revelation 20 biblical theology.
The antichrist signs a covenant for seven years with the nation of israel. In the context of the revelation story, its an interval of peace after the destruction of the beast. The testimony of history from the earliest postapostolic era, the church understood the millennium of revelation 20 as a literal years. Hes just a mildmannered christian guy living in exile whenpow. They include many many people who knew nothing about the true god and his son christ jesus. Now, revelation will take up the subject of christs long anticipated and prophesied thousand year reign. Some comments on the interpretation of revelation and the. What is the meaning of the hundred years mentioned in isaiah. And he laid hold on the dragon with whom undoubtedly his angels were now cast into the bottomless pit, as well as finally into everlasting fire, matthew 25. Gilmore michael wilcockthe message of revelation, the bible speaks today series, ed. In short, i believe that the most reasonable interpretation of the years is that we are in the years now, as the end days have already begun. Revelation then becomes merely a collection of stories designed to teach spiritual truth.
Jun 24, 20 revelation, like matthew 24, should not be polluted with human speculation of a pertribulation rapture, rebuild of an earthly temple with animal sacrifices, and a millennial years earthly. After this event, john saw the seventh seal opened. Let us investigate this period of years also commonly called the millennium, a latin word which means years, and discover the events which will take place. Insists that the events of chapters 622, are yet future, and that those chapters literally and symbolically depict actual people and events yet to appear on the world scene. And they lived and reigned with christ for a thousand years. The angel bound him for a thousand years, 3throwing him into the great pit. Is there anything in the text to suggest the multiple references are not to a single 3 and 12 year period. The thousand years revelation lamb and lion ministries. A while back, i met one of our staff members after teaching about prophecy, at church. It will be one single final day, the end of time as we know it, and it will include the replacement of this current world and universe. Revelation twenty 20 is the one passage in the bible that explicitly speaks of the millennium, using an expression which literally means a thousand years, and it does so no less than six times our english term millennium is actually the latin equivalent for the greek expression used in revelation.
Some comments on the interpretation of revelation and the years forrest c. A more comprehensive study will follow in part 2 of the series. The 1,000 years are not to be thought of as literal years, but rather the whole time between the two advents of the messiah minus, possible the short season. Likewise, we find no exegetical reason to question the normalcy of years in revelation 20. God hits him with a doozy of a revelation hey, thats not a bad idea for a title. John the divine is an example of apocalyptic writing a form that delivers a message using symbols, images and numbers. While every student of this book has some outstanding questions and there is some mystery to how the lord will complete his redemptive purpose, the book of revelation also includes a very unique command to keep the book and finishes with a strong warning about altering the book. Cyberspace ministry the moment of truth lesson 25 the. In particular, new emphasis was placed on the passages in the book of revelation which seemed to say that as christ would return to judge the living and the dead, satan would be locked away for years, but then released on the world to instigate a final battle against god and his saints revelation 20.
It is a period during which the power of satan to attack gods people is significantly reduced which will last for an unknown but relatively long. Millennialism or chiliasm from the greek equivalent, is a belief advanced by some religious. Its somewhat less used these days, but it is still around and it tends to look at, especially, the end of the world, as the kind of final event thats described in the book of revelation and also. Do the periods in revelation refer to the same period of 3 and 12 years, multiple periods of 3 12 years, two halves of a 7 year period, or something else. John is told to write down everything god shows him, and boy is god going to show him some strange things. Book of revelation for dummies cheat sheet dummies. At the end of the 1,000 years, satan will be set free. Aug 23, 2017 a short study of revelation 20s 1,000 years, part 1 editors note. And when the thousand years are expired see revelation 20. One thousand years a particular period of years, usually called simply the millennium, is talked about so much by bible teachers that you would think the bible mentions it frequently.
Revelation 20 niv the thousand years and i saw an angel. Revelation 20 nkjv satan bound 1,000 years then i saw an. Revelation chapter 20 kjv king james version question, satan is deceiving people now, so he is not yet bound. Jul 10, 2017 the 144,000 in the book of revelation while people are saying, peace and safety, destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. Revelation 20 commentary wesleys explanatory notes. The book of revelation, a prophecy of warning and hope. But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day 2 peter 3. The other three occurrences are in the book of revelation as well. This name indicates the meaning of revelation it uncovers matters that had been hidden and discloses events that would happen long after it was written. Why do you believe that there will be a literal millennial.
The souls who reign with christ for a thousand years. The seven letters to the seven churches revelation the seven letters to the seven churches not only contained the messages of christ for the early churches, but also contained the prophetic meaning for the seven historical periods in the christian history in the last two thousand years. And when he opened the sixth seal, i looked, and behold, there was a great earthquake there are five major earthquakes here in the book of revelation. Christian millennialist thinking is primarily based upon the book of revelation, specifically revelation 20. Then i saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. Yet, the language does not imply in any way that the references to the thousand years should be taken to mean anything other than a literal period of one thousand years.
The exact meaning of the millenium, the 1,000 year reign that john speaks of in revelation 20, is a centuriesold debate in christian circles. Book of revelation by thousand year rain on amazon music. A simple outline for the book of revelation is found in revelation 1. And the devil doesnt want you to know about it, his thousandyear prison sentence, because it reveals his true character. The holy bible book 66 revelation kjv dramatized audio. In the book of revelation, why is satan released again after. So much the better, since we will now study the years described in the twentieth chapter of this prophetic book. This is the first resurrection christs return and the rapture. He sent an angel to present this revelation to his servant john.
In fact the bible mentions that years in only one passage in the very last book revelation 20. John the divine, although the godgiven title is at the very beginning of the text, the revelation of jesus christ, which god. So the battered, dark earth with no people alive will be called the bottomless pit, or abyss, during the 1,000 years, just as it was in the beginning before creation was completed. Nov 19, 2012 this is the holy book of revelation, known as the revelation of st. The thousand years and i saw an angel coming down out of heaven.
The earth, in a tornup, darkened condition, is the bottomless pit where satan will be forced to stay during the 1,000 years. Finally, only daniel rivals this book in declaring that god providentially rules over the kingdoms of men and will accomplish his sovereign purposes regardless of human or demonic opposition. When the thousand years are over, satan will be freed from his prison. The seals of the book of revelation do not represent each years in my book, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men, i address the example of the wording of the baptismal prayer, which have been preserved in their incorrect form since oliver cowdery took the liberty of changing them from what joseph revealed while preparing the. Rather, and cast him into the abyss same word as in revelation 20. Book of revelation series 1,000 year reign of christ, rev 20. May 28, 2012 to my children on earth, know that prophecies contained in the book of daniel and the book of revelation still have to take place. Revelation 19 describes the return of jesus christ, coming in glory and power to take over the kingdoms of this world and to institute a new, just reign here on earth verses 1116. The question of the differentiating views of the millennial kingdom in rev 20. Revelation fulfilled, unveiling the mystery of the book of. The 1,000 years some will agree that most all of revelation s numbers are symbolic, but then for doctrinal reasons, not purely biblical reasons they will suddenly insist on strict literalism when 1,000 is used. In the first part of this essay one of the outstanding events that occurs during the thousand years, namely satans binding, was analyzed and interpreted within the framework of nt teaching.
The thousand years of revelation 20 part 2 fernando d. Revelation 20 in context of the entire book of revelation. Parts of the old testament, particularly in the book of daniel, are also written in the apocalyptic genre. What is the meaning of the years of revelation 20. We will start from the text, continue to the context provided by the book of revelation, and finally examine the broader nt teachings on the kingdom. A premillennial view on the years of revelation term paper. This covers the period of one thousand years when satan is bound, and christ is reigning with the saints. This article is the first in a two part study, meant to outline the key elements of revelation 20. A premillennial view on the years of revelation introduction for many christians, the millennium is a very important doctrine.
Scripture seems to clearly indicate that the day of the lord will come when we least expect it, as a thief. Christ opens the first of the sevensealed scroll, and the rider on the white horse probably antichrist appears. But, as revelation goes on to say, at the end of the thousand years at the four corners of the earth, retreating as far as possible from the central glory, there will still be many who represent israels old antagonists, gog and magog, and therefore are called by their names. The 1, 000 years are not to be thought of as literal years, but rather the whole time between the two advents of the messiah minus, possible the short season. Why do you believe that there will be a literal millennial period, of 1,000 years, after jesus returns. Book of revelation explained scripture by scripture. The book of revelation starts with this is a revelation from jesus christ, which god gave him to show his servants the events that must soon take place. This forces the timing of the seventh seal to the end of the 1,000 years because the lambs book of life is only opened at the end of the 1,000 years.
The last major interpretive view of the years that we will consider is that of premillennialism. I am not a premillenialist jesus comes back to dwell in jerusalem to begin a year reign or a postmillenialist a year victorious period for gods people before jesus comes back. One problem comes from the different interpretations concerning the meaning of the millenium. That is, a state of things will then occur as if satan should be for a time let loose again, and should be permitted to go as formerly over the world. Many will assign various meanings to references to a thousand year period. Check out book of revelation by thousand year rain on amazon music. Are the periods in revelation a single period of 3 and 12. The first explicit statements that the kingdom of god will reign on earth for a thousand years appear toward the end of the bible, in the book of revelation. Once jesus breaks the seventh seal, everything the father wrote in the book of life will be exposed. Its not christ that reigns years, but those who were killed for gods sake that reign with christ years. When 1,000 years are over, satan will be freed from his prison. Know that the 1,000 years referred to in the book of.
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