Introduction.. The Millennium in Revelation
The word Millennium comes from a combination of the Latin mille, which means "thousand", and annus (year). Biblically, the Millennium refers to a literal period of 1,000 years, mentioned six times in Revelation 20... Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. (2) And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; (3) and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time. (4) Then I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was given to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their forehead and on their hand; and they came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. (5) The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were completed. This is the first resurrection. (6) Blessed and holy is the one who has a part in the first resurrection; over these the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with Him for a thousand years. (7) When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison (8) and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. (9) And they came up on the broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. (10) And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever. (Revelation 20:1-10 NASB)
In summary, Satan will be bound and cast into the bottomless pit for a thousand years, during which period believers will live and reign with Christ. Unfortunately, there will be one last set back when, at the end of the millennium, Satan will be loosed out of his prison for a short time. He will once again go out to deceive the nations and gather them together to war against Christ. As numerous as the sand on the seashore, this army will surround Jerusalem, but will be devoured by fire from heaven. Satan will then be thrown into the lake of fire to join the beast and the false prophet and, as chapter 21 goes on to tell us, God then establishes a "new heaven and a new earth" for all eternity. [See What and Where is Heaven?]
The Timing of The Millennium... Three Views
There are essentially three views regarding when Christ will return in relationship to the millennium ...
Pre-millennial: The prefix 'Pre' denotes 'before'. That is, Christ will come before the millennium. Pre-millennialists believe Christ will return after the Great Tribulation, and will physically rule the earth from Jerusalem for a thousand-year period of peace and security. Post-millennial: The prefix 'Post' denotes 'after'. That is, Christ will come after the millennium. Post-millennialists believe that the church will progressively bring righteousness to the world, or control it to the extent that there will be "peace on earth" for 1,000 years. Following a brief time of tribulation, Christ will return to earth and establish a new heaven and a new earth for eternity. The Latter Rain/ Joel's Army/ Manifest Sons of God/ Kingdom Now/ Restoration/ Reconstruction movements etc. are all largely based on this view. A-millennial: The prefix, 'a' means 'no'. While the name suggests that a-millennialists do not believe in the millennium at all, this is not true. Rather than a literal 1000-year reign of Christ, they believe that the millennium mentioned in Revelation 20 refers to the 'church age'... that is the period between Pentecost and Christ's Second Coming. In other words, Christ is already reigning from heaven. After this period comes to a close, He will return to judge the living and the dead and will establish His kingdom for all eternity.
Quite obviously only one of the three views can possibly be correct.
PART I ... Why Post-millennialism Cannot Possibly Be True
The Olivet Discourse
Paul
Peter
The Specific Teachings In The Parables
Other The Dangers of Post Millenniumism
PART II ... The Sabbath Millennium
Typology
The Book of Enoch
Peter's Prophecy
The Epistle Of Barnabas
PART III ... Pre-Millennialism... The Facts Vs. The Fairy Tales
1) Does Pre-Millennialism Imply That Jesus Did Not Manage to Set up His Kingdom in The 1st Century?
2) When is Death Finally Abolished?
3) When Does The ‘End’ come?
4) Can Flesh And Blood Enter The Millennium Kingdom?
5) Salvation During The Millennium?
6) Is The Parable of The Sheep And Goats Synonymous With The White Throne Judgment?
7) Are All Things Presently under Christ's Feet?
8) Revelation 19 and 20 Are In Chronological Order
9) A Closer Look At The Timing of Romans 8:19-23
10) The Heavens Will Pass Away and The Earth Burned Up
PART IV ... Summary and Conclusion. Gog and Magog
Any one who believes that Ezekiel’s prophecy about the destruction of Gog and Magog was a) only aimed at various countries of Ezekiel's day, b) that it only concerned the end of days when a vast army from modern nations would come against Israel OR c) the battles of Ezekiel 38-39 and Revelation 20 are the same battle, has missed one of the most fascinating aspects of Hebrew prophecy.
Also See
The Change In Millennial Beliefs
How And Why Did The Change From Pre-Millennialism To A-Millennialism Come About?
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