The Millennium of Revelation 20:1-6 Is A Symbolic Period of Time

The Millennium is representative of a long period of time which encompasses the Church Age and terminates a short time before the end of salvational history.

The text to be considered: 

Revelation 20:1-6, And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 … , that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: …  4 … : and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, … , and which had not worshipped the beast, … ; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The millennium is only mentioned one time in Scripture: Revelation 20:1-6 (given above). The Greek of that text reads “chila etâ.” Chila (a thousand) and etâ (years). Our word (millennium) comes to us from the Latin: mille (thousand) and annum (year). The in-house debate is whether or not the reference to a thousand years (of Re 20:1-6) is to be understood symbolically (as this essay contends) or literally (as the Dispensationalists contend). 

Since our text (Re 20:1-6) is the sole mention of a millennial reign of Christ, it falls under the stipulations of interpretation which state that no scripture is of any private interpretation (2 Pt 1:20). Therefore, this solitary text must be subjected to the multitude of other texts, of the same genre, that will help to interpret what this text is intending. Moreover, our text is found in an apocalyptic document that (as all apocalyptic writings) is covert, not overt, in nature. Therefore, Revelation is a book of symbols where almost nothing is what it seems to be, on the surface. 

The Origin of a Literal 1,000 Year Kingdom on Earth

An early Christian heretic by the name of Cerinthus was an Egyptian Jewish Christian who brought with him from Alexandria Egypt several false teaching that he dissimulated throughout Palestine and Asia Minor. Among these heresies was that the earth was created by a lesser god and not by the Almighty, that all matter was evil (in this he was a proto-gnostic), he was the first to introduce a logos christology (he taught that the logos came upon Christ at his baptism and left him while on the cross), that Jesus was the natural son of Mary and Joseph, and the teaching that there would be a future 1000 year period where believers will live in carnal pleasure and have 1000 years of marriage festivals. Cerinthus was a contemporary of Saint John. According to early Christian writers John wrote his Gospel and Epistles to combat Cerinthus’ teachings.

Revelation: A Book of Symbols

The very first verse of Revelation sets the tone and nature of the document: “The Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass; and he sent and signified it by his angel unto his servant John:” (bolding and underlining mine). Here, the word “signified” is the Greek “esâmanen” from “sâmainō” (St’s G#4591); this word is from sâgma, meaning “a sign.” This very word is used by John (our author of Revelation) three other times: all three in his Gospel. Two reference a covert saying concerning the death of Christ (Jn 12:33 and 18:32) and one referencing a covert saying concerning the death of Peter (Jn 21:19). The point, not to be overlooked, is that in all places John employed “sâmainō” (signify, signified, signifying) he indicated a cryptic sign, a covert indicator of an event. So, here in the very first sentence of his Apocalypse he informs his readers that the things he was about to write were but “signs” of realities and not necessarily the realities themselves.

Millennium As A Sign (sâgma)

The great numbers (in Revelation) dealing with the number “1000” such as the 200 million man army of Revelation 9:16, and the 10,000 x 10,000, and thousands of thousands about the throne in Revelation 5:11, are to be compared to Daniel 7:10 where the 100,000,000 and the 1,000,000 represent the same number. Therefore, all these numbers are rhetorical and represent a number that is so great it is uncountable. 

Therefore, to pull the number 1000 from its apocalyptic environment of symbolism, and insist on its literalness, is questionable exegesis—to say the least. It is especially so, when all other passages on the Messianic Kingdom (when interpreted expositor-ally) would suggest a figurative meaning for the thousand year reign of the Messiah.

It is important to acknowledge that the number 1000 is a multiple of the number 10 to the third power: written as 103. Ten (10) is the biblical number for the work/price of redemption (Re. 2:10; 5:11; also see Ge. 18:32; 24:10, 22; 31:7; Ex 26: on, 16; 34:28), while three (3) is the biblical number of confirmation (De. 17:6; 19:15). In that 1000 is a multiple of the number of redemption by the number of confirmation we are informed, in a way that only the Apocalypse could, that the number 1000 represents the period of time that the Lord of the universe takes to totally redeem creation (however long that time might be). Therefore, the thousand year reign of Christ (the Messiah) does not have a literal thousand years of 365 (or 360) days in view; rather it is apocalyptic language for a long period in which Christ (the Messiah) is working through His saints, to bring the consummation of salvation upon/into the created universe. At the end of this time Jesus will physically return from heaven onto the earth. It is none other than the apostle Peter who states this clearly. When speaking of Christ, Peter says: “whom heaven must receive until the times of restoration of all things, which God has spoken by the mouth of all His holy prophets since the world began.” (Ac 3:21).

Furthermore, to insist on the literalness of the number 1,000 from a book of symbols does violence to biblical exegesis. It is beyond strange that so many insist on a literal interpretation of the 1,000 year reign, and then use that as a standard by which to force a literal interpretation on all the Kingdom passages—no matter how that application may do violence to expository exegesis.

To make the symbolism of Revelation’s numbers clear, permit me to offer the following: 

• The number three (3) is used throughout the book of Revelation to represent witness (i.e. confirmation): see 6:6 (… three measures of barley for a penny; …); 8:13 (And I beheld, and heard an angel flying through the midst of heaven, saying with a loud voice, Woe, woe, woe, to the inhabiters of the earth …!); 9:18 (By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, … .); 11:9 (And they … shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, … .); 16:19 (And the great city was divided into three parts, … .); 21:13 (On the east three gates; on the north three gates; on the south three gates; and on the west three gates.). 
• Throughout the book, John employs the number seven (7) to represent completeness and the number of covenant: see 2:1 (Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks;); 3:1 (And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write; These things saith he that hath the seven Spirits of God, and the seven stars;); 4:5 (and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.); 5:1 (And I saw in the right hand of him that sat on the throne a book written within and on the backside, sealed with seven seals.); 5:5 (And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not: behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath prevailed to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.), 6 (And I beheld, and, lo, in the midst of the throne and of the four beasts, and in the midst of the elders, stood a Lamb as it had been slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven Spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.); 8:2 (And I saw the seven angels which stood before God; and to them were given seven trumpets.); 8:6 (And the seven angels which had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.); 10:3 (And cried with a loud voice, as when a lion roareth: and when he had cried, seven thunders uttered their voices. (See v4)); 11:13 (… and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.); 12:3 (… and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads …, and seven crowns upon his heads.); 13:1 (And I … saw a beast rise up out of the sea, having seven heads … .); 15:1 (And I saw …, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.), 6 (And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, … .), 7 (And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, … .), 8 (… and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled.); 16:1 (And I heard a great voice out of the temple saying to the seven angels, … .); 17:1 (And there came one of the seven angels which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto me, … :), 3 (… and I saw … a scarlet coloured beast, full of names of blasphemy, having seven heads and ten horns.), 7 (And the angel said unto me,… I will tell thee the mystery … of the beast … which hath the seven heads and ten horns.), 9 (And here is the mind which hath wisdom. The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth.), 10 (And there are seven kings: … .), 11 (And the beast that was, and is not, even he is the eighth, and is of the seven, and goeth into perdition.); 21:9 (And there came unto me one of the seven angels which had the seven vials full of the seven last plagues, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife.). 
• In the book of Revelation the number ten (10) represents the work/price of redemption: see 2:10 (… behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life.); 5:11 (And I beheld, and I heard the voice of many angels round about the throne and the beasts and the elders: and the number of them was ten thousand times ten thousand, and thousands of thousands;) — see Ge 18:32 (And he said, Oh let not the Lord be angry, and I will speak yet but this once: Peradventure ten shall be found there. And he said, I will not destroy it for ten's sake.); 24:10, 22 (And the servant took ten camels of the camels of his master, and departed; for all the goods of his master were in his hand: and he arose, and went to Mesopotamia, unto the city of Nahor. … 22, And it came to pass, as the camels had done drinking, that the man took a golden earring of half a shekel weight, and two bracelets for her hands of ten shekels weight of gold;); 31:7 (And your father hath deceived me, and changed my wages ten times; but God suffered him not to hurt me.); Exodus 26: on, 16; 34:28 (And he was there with the Lord forty days and forty nights; he did neither eat bread, nor drink water. And he wrote upon the tables the words of the covenant, the ten commandments.) — also see Revelation 12:3 (And there appeared another wonder in heaven; and behold a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and seven crowns upon his heads.); see also Revelation13:1; 17:3, 7, 12, 16 where the ten (10) horns of the beast speak of false redemption. 
• In Revelation, the number twelve (12) represents government: see 7:5, 6, 7, 8 (Of the tribe of Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Gad were sealed twelve thousand. 6 Of the tribe of Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Nephthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Manasses were sealed twelve thousand. 7 Of the tribe of Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Issachar were sealed twelve thousand. 8 Of the tribe of Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.); 12:1 (And there appeared a great wonder in heaven; a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars:); 21:12, 14, 16, 21 (And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels, and names written thereon, which are the names of the twelve tribes of the children of Israel: … v14, And the wall of the city had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb. … v16, And the city lieth foursquare, and the length is as large as the breadth: and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. The length and the breadth and the height of it are equal. … v21, And the twelve gates were twelve pearls: every several gate was of one pearl: and the street of the city was pure gold, as it were transparent glass.); 22:2 (n the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.). 
• Any multiple of the above numbers (i.e. 3, 7, 10, or 12) is an extension of the number’s principal meaning. 
• The “one-third” (1/3) of Revelation is a prophetic rhetorical one-third: see 8:7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (The first angel sounded, and there followed hail and fire mingled with blood, and they were cast upon the earth: and the third part of trees was burnt up, and all green grass was burnt up. 8 And the second angel sounded, and as it were a great mountain burning with fire was cast into the sea: and the third part of the sea became blood; 9 And the third part of the creatures which were in the sea, and had life, died; and the third part of the ships were destroyed. 10 And the third angel sounded, and there fell a great star from heaven, burning as it were a lamp, and it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters; 11 And the name of the star is called Wormwood: and the third part of the waters became wormwood; and many men died of the waters, because they were made bitter. 12 And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars; so as the third part of them was darkened, and the day shone not for a third part of it, and the night likewise.); 9:15, 18 (And the four angels were loosed, which were prepared for an hour, and a day, and a month, and a year, for to slay the third part of men. .. v18, By these three was the third part of men killed, by the fire, and by the smoke, and by the brimstone, which issued out of their mouths.). 
• When Revelation speaks of “one hour” a short time is being indicated: see 17:12 (And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast.); 18:10 (Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.); 18:17, 19 (For in one hour so great riches is come to nought. And every shipmaster, and all the company in ships, and sailors, and as many as trade by sea, stood afar off, … v19, And they cast dust on their heads, and cried, weeping and wailing, saying, Alas, alas that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea by reason of her costliness! for in one hour is she made desolate.). 
• Similarly, when the book of Revelation uses a time of 1000 years a long period is being referenced: see 20:2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 (And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison (And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, 3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years. 7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,). 
• The number three and one half (3 1/2) appears in different forms in the book of Revelation: 3 1/2 half in 11:9 (And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.); 42 months in 11:2 (But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.), 13:5 (And there was given unto him a mouth speaking great things and blasphemies; and power was given unto him to continue forty and two months.); 1260 days in 11:3 (And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.), 12:6 (And the woman fled into the wilderness, where she hath a place prepared of God, that they should feed her there a thousand two hundred and threescore days.); time, times, and a half a time in 12:14 (And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, and times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent.), see Daniel 7:25 (And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.). This number is a conventional apocalyptic symbol for any limited period of unrestrained wickedness.

The Time Stamp

Our text gives us a “time stamp” for the beginning of the millennium. It begins at the binding of Satan, “And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years.” (v2)

To begin this section on The Time Stamp I will put forth a question to the opponents to our view: According to Luke 10:17-19; Matthew 12:28-29//Mark 3:27//Luke 11:20-22, did Jesus teach that Satan was bound at the time of His (Jesus’) earthly ministry?

Above, I asked a very important question concerning the binding of the Devil, I gave certain Scripture references that demonstrate the binding of Satan during the earthly ministry of Christ. In the parable of the Strong Man, Jesus taught that a Strong Man’s house cannot be broken into and his goods spoiled, unless he is first bound (Mk 3:27//Lk 11:20-22). Of course, in this teaching Jesus is likening Satan to the Strong Man and Himself as the One Stronger who comes and binds the Strong Man of the world in order to spoil his goods. Matthew records this teaching of Christ even more plainly: 

“But if it is by the Spirit of God that I cast out demons, then the kingdom of God has come upon you. Or how can someone enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? Then indeed he may plunder his house.” —Matthew 12:28-29

When the binding of the Strong Man is compared to the binding of Satan during the millennium, the likeness is more than stunning: The binding of Satan during the millennium is a qualified binding so that the nations of the world would be free to obey the Gospel. The same is true with the binding of the Strong Man in Jesus’ parable. Luke 10:17-18 sheds further light on this “binding of Satan”: Here, the seventy return from their mission and report to Christ saying, “Lord, even the devils are subject unto us through thy name.” To which Jesus replied, “I beheld Satan as lightning fall from heaven.”  Jesus said, “But if I with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come to you” (Lk. 11:20). It is truly difficult to see how the connection between this event (of Christ and the Seventy [Lk 10:9, 17-18 cf 11:20-22]) and Revelation 20:1-6 is missed by those who insist on a literal 1,000 years.

Having presented the question (According to Luke 10:17-19; Matthew 12:28-29//Mark 3:27//Luke 11:20-22, did Jesus teach that Satan was bound at the time of His (Jesus’) earthly ministry?) to an opponent in a recent formal debate, I must say that I was surprised when my friend answered “No.” My friend denied that Satan was bound during the earthly ministry of Christ.

The reasons for his “no” answer (which I will soon present) are impossible to square with an honest exegesis of the texts I presented. 

From the above texts the following is clear: 

1. The Seventy reported that evil spirits (devils) were subjected to them through the “name” of Jesus;
2. Jesus declared that He had witnessed the “fall” of Satan from his position in the heavens and that, as a consequence: power was given to the disciples over all the power of the enemy; 
3. that Jesus is the “man” who entered the Strong man’s (Satan’s) house (world) and spoiled his goods (Satan had boasted to Christ that the world and all its wealth and kingdoms were his to give to whomsoever he would [Mt 4:9])— after Christ’s victory in the wilderness all that changed; 
4. the KINGDOM of Christ (Messiah) had come, because the “strong man” was bound; 
5. “He” (Christ, the one who bound the strong man) plunders his property (the world). 

My friend’s reasons for denying the binding of Satan are three embarrassments to the futurists: 

1. If bound during the ministry of the Messiah the King, then no need to be bound again at the cross ~ Nowhere have I said that Satan was not bound until the cross.
2. Casting out devils was no sign that Satan was bound because the “sons” of the Jews cast out devils as well ~ My friend misreads Matthew 12:27. Jesus is not saying that the Jews actually exorcise demons; He is merely uncovering the hypocrisy of the Jews who believed (or, at least, professed) that they too cast out demons. (The only biblical reference to Jewish exorcists is the “seven sons of Sceva.” [Ac. 19:11-20]) The Seventy were amazed that demons were ACTUALLY subject to them through the authority of the King. This implies that for all the exorcisms of the Jews — it was all a sham, until the Messiah came — then, demons were bound, for true and real. Jesus referenced this as proof that the KINGDOM had arrived in the person of the King (Mt 12:28-29). 
3. Satan is not bound (says my friend); only when he meets the “finger of God” is he cast out of a person.~ This is most likely the weakest of the three reasons my friend gave for Satan not being bound during the earthly ministry of Christ (Messiah). This reason ignores most all the information given in the texts I introduced: a. Satan had fallen; b. not only did the King cast out devils, but also His disciples (the subjects of His Kingdom), thus, c. Satan’s subjugation was not only to the King, but also to His KINGDOM. Thus, the “finger of God” reference by Christ (Messiah) was to demonstrate with what ease demons are dispatched in the Kingdom of the Messiah (Christ). 

During the debate mentioned, my friend attempted to muddy the water concerning the word “signify” (Greek, “esâmanen”) from Revelation 1:1. Our purpose for introducing this all-important word from the Apocalypse is not lost on what other meanings it may have, but on the method it was used by John. 

The Futurists pretend to be able to to use the same hermeneutic for all Scripture, whether the genre is historic, prophetic, epistolic or apocalyptic. However, to interpret symbolic literature one must posses the code which is most alway presented within the text itself. Otherwise, in the case of the Revelation, one would wander aimlessly inside the mysterious labyrinth, amid thunderings, lightnings, blasting trumpets, terrifying voices; earthquakes, hailstones; demon locusts, diabolic frogs, dragons, wounded and bleeding Lambs, beheaded corpses crying for revenge, galloping horses: first white, then the red, followed by the black, then the pale; here, a woman bright and radiant—there another lustful and drinking blood; here a man eating a book—there a man weeping over a book unopened; here, an altar with four horns which speak; there, great birds with the flesh of kings in their beaks—all within a thick disorienting smoke. 

What Should This Biblical Teaching Be Labeled? 

Our readers will note that I have not introduced any theological label for this biblical position; but most would identify it as Amillennialism. However, since the term amillennial means no millennium, it is a misnomer for the biblical theology it represents, in that the Bible does teach a millennium—just not a literal one. A more correct term would be Realized Millennialism.

Answering A Major Object to Realized Millennialism

While, in this short essay we cannot answer all questions and objections to the subject of a figurative 1,000 year reign of Christ, we can, and should address the most common one. The most common objection: “If the church age is the millennial reign of Christ how is it that Satan is bound?” 

This question (which I have discussed above) comes from Revelation 20:2-3, where John informs his readers that Satan would be bound during the 1,000 years of the Messiah’s rule. Considering the wickedness that has been recorded in the last two millennia, it is difficult for one to understand how it is that the “great Dragon” could have been bound all this time.

The important point to recognize is that the “binding” is a qualified “binding.” Although the metaphors of a “chain,” and “seal” are used, one is warned against taking these items literally; after all, this is a book of symbols. John tells his readers (Re 20:3) that the “binding” was to restrain Satan from deceiving the nations “till the thousand years were finished.” Therefore, the “seal” placed upon him was a prohibition from hindering the spread of the Gospel of the Kingdom. This binding is, most likely, referenced by the apostle Paul when he wrote to the church at Thessalonica: “And now you know what is restraining, that he may be revealed in his own time. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only He who now restrains will do so until He is taken out of the way. And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord will consume with the breath of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” (2 Th 2:6-8 NKJV). 

No doubt, it is this very restraint that is spoken of by Christ in Mark 3:27, where he said: “No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. And then he will plunder his house.”

Jesus had, indeed, entered into Satan’s house (see Matthew 4:1-11 where Satan demonstrates his authority over the earth) and was prepared to spoil it. Moreover, the language of Luke 10:18 and 11:20-22 represents the Messiah restraining the devil to take his goods. From the words of Christ, found in the two texts from Luke, we may be assured that Satan was bound, cast down, and overcome so that the kingdom of the Messiah could be established. 

We have observed that the 1,000 year reign of Christ is only mentioned once in the entire Bible. Now, that the millennium is mentioned but once (in 6 verses only) does not indicate an unimportance, or that it should be ignored. But it does raise the question of: 

Why should the multitude of texts, on the subject of the kingdom of the Messiah, be understood from a literal perspective of a single text from a biblical book of symbols?

This question becomes very important, when it is observed that the literal view of the 1,000 years demands a reinterpreting of all other kingdom passages, and does violence to expository exegesis. 

It seems much more practical to understand the odd, minute, and isolated passage (namely, Revelation 20:1-6) on the Messianic Kingdom, in the light of the clear and voluminous texts on the same subject. 

If the more pragmatic approach is taken (i.e. the great volume of clear teachings of the prophets, Jesus, and the apostles, that the Church is, indeed, the Messianic Kingdom), then the odd, minute, and isolated text of Revelation 20:1-6 would not be understood literally, but would, of necessity, be interpreted symbolically. Thus, the thousand year reign of Christ would be understood to be a figurative number, which represents a long period in which Christ (through His Church) will rule and reign on the earth. It would seem, then, that most of the misunderstanding of end-time and Kingdom theology has sprung from this inverted way of interpreting this particular text. To take any given number (in this case the number 1,000) from a document where numbers are employed, throughout, in a highly figurative manner, and assign to that number a literal meaning, seems to be a harsh breaking with apocalyptic context altogether, to say nothing of the very nature of apocalyptic literature.

The Injury To Holy Scripture Caused By the Literal Understanding 

While having a discussion with a teacher (from a leading denomination) on the literal position concerning the millennium he referenced the texts of end-time prophecy as  pieces of a “jigsaw puzzle” that must be assembled “without the reference picture on the box.” This is EXACTLY the problem with the literalists’ view (called Premillennial Dispensationalism). To my friend, and those of his ilk, prophetic texts of the end-time do not lay out flat and smooth, but are all disconnected and confused. They lack a master picture, or code, to bring them together. My friend suggested that one must see the big picture of God’s plan (in his/her mind) in order to put the “jigsaw puzzle” together. The problem is that that picture may be different in different person’s fantasies. (For this reason the Literal Premillennialists have as many scenarios of the end time as they have teachers.) These texts appear disjointed to the Premillenaialists because of their refusal to interpret the 1,000 years of Revelation 20:2-6 within its context of apocalyptic literature, which is symbolic in nature. When the symbolism of the 1,000 years is removed, much of end time prophecy is torn into separate pieces (as pieces of a “jigsaw puzzle”) that they attempt to piece back together: Daniel’s 70 weeks is violently torn into two separate pieces of their “jigsaw puzzle,” because the 70th week of the prophecy MUST be yet in the future (in their view); the resurrection of the dead is fiercely torn into two separate parts of their “jigsaw puzzle” and flung a thousand years form one another; Israel and the Church are brutally separated into separate pieces of their “jigsaw puzzle”, because the Kingdom of the Messiah MUST be yet future (in their view). All this confusion because of a literal view of the 1,000 years of Revelation 20:2-6. Once this kingpin text is interpreted figuratively, all end-time prophecy lays straight and flat: All of Dispensational Premillennialism’s “jigsaw puzzle” pieces meld into one homogenous picture.

The Summary

So far, in order to establish the biblical teaching of Realized Millennialism this writing has focused on four points: (1) the binding of Satan during the earthly ministry of Christ as signaling the beginning of the millennium, (2) the Greek word, “esâmanen” and the manner it was employed by the apostle John, demonstrating the symbolic nature of the entire book of Revelation which contains the only reference to the 1,000 years reign of Christ, (3) the unreasonableness  of forcing all of eschatological texts into the mold of a literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6 that is located within a symbolic book of the Bible, and (4) the violence done to Holy Scripture by the forced ripping apart of Daniel’s 70 Week prophecy, the general resurrection of the dead, and the taring apart of the the body of Christ by making Israel and the Church two separate entities.

Dear reader, it is my prayer that by reading my thoughts, presented here, you will have been edified and further grounded in Realized Millennialism.

Amen

Apostolically Speaking,

Bp. Jerry L Hayes

View the video version of this essay at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBgEy1rqZRM&ab_channel=BishopJerryLHayes