Biblegems #125
Question: Only Revelation speaks of Jesus’
earthly reign as being 1,000 years, a book that is highly symbolic. Are the
thousand years to be taken literally or symbolically, and how can we know?
The reference
for this question is Revelation 20:1-7. How we answer this question will depend
largely on how we interpret the book of Revelation as a whole. It is true that
the book of Revelation is full of highly symbolic images, but that does not
mean everything is symbolic. In fact, Revelation is intended to be clear and
understandable, not a mysterious puzzle to unlock. It is a “revelation,” an “un-veiling”[i] of
Jesus Christ, an “unveiling” of events to come, and an “unveiling” of when, in
the order of events, these things are to take place:
Rev. 1:1 The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his
servants what must soon take place.
A correct
approach to interpreting Revelation then is to treat the language in a
straightforward manner unless the context indicates otherwise. With that principle
of interpretation in mind, here’s why I believe the 1,00 year reign of Christ
is intended to be understood literally:
1) The Messianic Reign of Christ on earth itself
is presented throughout Scripture as a literal event, so it is consistent
interpretation to understand the time frame given in Revelation as literal as
well.
2) Revelation gives many new details to
previous prophetic revelations from the Old Testament. The 1,000 year reign of
the Messiah is one such new detail, emphasized by Jesus to John six times, one
right after the other to make the matter crystal clear.
3) Revelation 20:1-7, where the 1,000 years are
specified, also lists several other events that are to take place in and around
that time frame:
•
Satan is to be “bound,” rendered incapable of affecting human affairs during
that 1,00years (20:1-3).
• Jesus’ followers are resurrected,
including those martyred for not receiving the mark of the Beast, and exercise
authority and judgment with Jesus during this 1,000 year period (20:4-5).
•
Jesus’ resurrected followers will also serve in a priestly function during this
1,000 year period (20:6).
•
At the conclusion of the 1,000 year reign Satan will be released and will
instigate mankind’s final, failed World War, targeting Jerusalem as the
Messiah’s headquarters (20:7-9), after which he will be forever banished to
eternal torment in hell (20:10).
If the
1,000 years are to be understood symbolically then the events set within that
time frame would have to be interpreted as symbolical as well, if we apply a
consistent principle of biblical interpretation. We cannot arbitrarily treat
one as literal and the other as symbolic. And if the events are interpreted as
symbolic, then we would have to conclude that there will be no literal
messianic reign of the Kingdom of God on earth at all, no literal binding of
Satan, no literal resurrection of the saints to reign with Christ as kings and
priests, and no final defeat of Satan ending in his eternal demise in hell.
On the
other hand, if we take Revelation 1:1 at face value and interpret this prophecy
as an “unveiling of Jesus Christ,”
and an “unveiling” of “what” must
take place and when it must take
place,” then both the events described and the time frame the events are placed
in must be interpreted literally.
Comments or Questions?
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[i] ajpoka¿luyiß
apokalupsis, ap-ok-al´-oop-sis; from 601; disclosure: — appearing,
coming, lighten, manifestation, be revealed, revelation. (Strong’s Greek
Dictionary of the New Testament.)
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