The Book Of RevelationSýnishorn

Vision Describing the Punishment: Revelation 19:1-21, 20:1-15

Most interpreters recognize that, like the rest of John’s apocalyptic prophecy, Revelation 20 is highly symbolic. And believers interpret its symbols in a wide variety of ways. In fact, in the entire book of Revelation, it would be hard to find a more debated passage than this one. 

Broadly speaking, there are four major schools of interpretation for this passage. Each one is named in part after its understanding of the millennium or thousand years mentioned throughout this passage. These four schools of interpretation are: historic premillennialism, dispensational premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. 

Historic premillennialism and dispensational premillennialism are both premillennial systems, meaning that they believe Jesus will return before the millennium starts. By contrast, postmillennialism and amillennialism are both postmillennial systems, meaning that they believe that Jesus will return after the millennium ends. Let’s look at each of these systems in a bit more detail.

Historic premillennialism is called “historic” because it’s the premillennial view that has been held by different groups and theologians throughout church history. It teaches that after Jesus returns, Satan will be bound and Jesus will usher in the millennium — a thousand-year period of earthly peace and prosperity. Believers will receive resurrected bodies at the beginning of the millennium. Unbelievers won’t receive resurrected bodies. They’ll live longer lives than they do now, but they will still die. When the millennium ends, Satan’s rebellion will take place, followed by the final judgment. And then God’s eternal reign over the new heavens and new earth will begin. This view understands Revelation chapter 20 to follow chronologically after chapter 19.

Dispensational premillennialism began to be taught in the 1830s. There are variations within this view, especially with regard to the timing of the final events before the millennium. But in general, Dispensational premillennialism teaches that when Jesus returns, he will restore the nation of Israel and visibly reign over the nations from his throne in Jerusalem. Near the end of the millennium, Satan will instigate a rebellion, but God will completely defeat Satan and his armies. Afterwards, the last judgment will take place, and then God’s eternal reign over the new heavens and new earth will begin. Like historic premillennialism, this view understands Revelation chapter 20 to follow chronologically after chapter 19.

In contrast with historic and Dispensational premillennialism, postmillennialism teaches that Jesus will return after the millennium. The millennium itself is thought to be either the entire period between the first and second comings of Christ, or the last thousand years before his return. In either case, during the millennium Jesus rules from heaven through his earthly church. And his kingdom progressively expands to cover and improve the entire earth.

Amillennialism literally means “no millennium.” It takes its name from the fact that it denies that the millennium is a literal thousand years. It teaches that the millennium consists of Jesus’ reign over the earth, from his throne in heaven and through his church; and that Jesus will return at the end of the millennium. Amillennialism is distinct from postmillennialism in a variety of ways. For one thing, all forms of amillennialism affirm that the millennium is the entire period between the first and second comings of Christ. For another, amillennialism doesn’t insist that the millennial reign of Jesus and the saints will constantly expand the kingdom and improve the world. From an amillennial perspective, Christians will experience both the blessings of the kingdom of God and great tribulation on earth until final victory is achieved at Christ’s return.

It’s important for followers of Christ to recognize that evangelical believers don’t always agree, and that the question of the millennium has historically been an area of controversy. But regardless of which millennial interpretation we take, all evangelical Christians can agree that Christ will return and achieve final victory over evil, that Satan will ultimately be defeated, and that God’s people will live forever under Christ’s reign in a restored creation.