Revelation 20 The Question of the Millennium

Bishop Jos Ildo Swartele de Mello

Introduction
Let us examine an interpretation of Revelation 20 in accordance with the rules of hermeneutics in light of the general Scriptural teaching on this theme. First, we must take into account the literary style, because apocalyptic literature is filled with images and language which serve as symbolic representations of that which it desires to convey. It is not wise to ignore the nature of the book and go directly to a literal interpretation. A literal interpretation of Revelation is what led the founder of the Jehovahs Witnesses to the conclusion that only 144,000 persons would be saved and go to Heaven. The key question for interpreting Revelation is not, What is it? but rather, What does it mean? For example, what do the dozens of numerical references mean such as 7, 24, 666, 144,000 and 1,000? Not even the most literalist among premillennialists interpret literally such things as the number of the Beast, the Beast of the Sea with seven heads and ten horns (Rev. 13), the locusts of the abyss (Rev. 9) or the horses (Rev. 9). Another rule of hermeneutics is that Scripture interprets Scripture. A clear text casts light on a more obscure text. In the case in question, since it has to do with the Kingdom of God, we have a vast array of biblical texts which inform us with respect to this matter. In fact, Jesus spoke more about the Kingdom of God than about another other subject. It is also interesting to note that Jesus never made mention of a millennial kingdom on Earth after His Second Coming. It is most plausible that the vision recorded in chapter 20 of Revelation is a word picture representing the clear teaching of Christ recorded in all the Gospels, and not something contradictory. It is very important to take into consideration the context in which this book was written. Everything indicates that the Book of Revelation was written about 95 A.D. a time in which the Church suffered horrendous persecution under Emperor Domitian. The number of martyrs multiplied daily. Revelation was written at a time of much pain and suffering to comfort and encourage the hearts of believers. There are various mentions of martyrs, who are seen at Christs side, being comforted by Him, singing a victory song, receiving crowns, and reigning with Christ. They are not dead and defeated. In all things they are more than conquerors! They live and reign with Christ! We need to also note that the Book of Revelation is not a chronological narrative of facts. Rather, it is a series of visions, interlaced or juxtaposed, as word pictures of one and the same story, looked at from different angles in order to enrich the one vision as a whole. The book can be divided into seven parallel and progressive sections. Each section covers the period from the first to the second coming of Christ. Each new section is

clearer in its word picture of the end, until we come to the climax! First Section (1-3): the seven lamp stands; Second Section (4-7): the seven seals; Third Section (8-11): the seven trumpets; Fourth Section (12-14): the malignant threesome; Fifth Section (15-16): the seven bowls; Sixth Section (17-19): the defeat of the Dragons servants; and the Seventh Section (20-22), which shows the Kingdom of Christ with the souls of the saints in Heaven, not in a millennium on earth after the Second Coming. Although chapter 19 describes the Second Coming of Christ, it ends with a live description of final judgment. The events described in chapter 20 do not follow those of chapter 19 in a chronological order, just as the description of Jesus birth found in chapter 12 does not in any way follow chronologically the events of final judgment recorded in chapter 11. Thus, just as chapter 11 ends with a description of the Final Judgment, and chapter 12 starts over, telling the story from the birth of Christ, so it is also with chapters 19 and 20. Chapter 20 begins describing the events which marked Christs first coming, seeing that it was at the time of Christs first coming that Satans imprisonment occurred (Mt. 12:27-29, John 1:5, Mt. 16:18; 28:18) and he was cast into the abyss (Luke 10:18; 2 Peter 2:4 and Jude 1:6). Jesus has begun His reign, though this is not visible to all, as is well expressed by the author of Hebrews, saying, you crowned him with glory and honor and put everything under his feet. In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. (Hebrews 2:7-8, NIV) These are paradoxical affirmations, for first it is categorically affirmed that all things are under the dominion of Christ, and immediately following it is stated that it is not yet possible to see this in concrete terms. But one thing does not negate the other, for the reign of Christ is spiritual and is also in the process of expansion. Although the author of Hebrews could not yet see all things under the dominion of Christ, he does not deny the fact of the reality of the Kingdom of God in the present age, as the Premillennialists do. This has to do with the hybrid character of the Kingdom of God in the present age, which is described by Jesus in terms of wheat mixed with weeds (Mt. 13). This also has to do with the gradual and progressing character of the Kingdom as well described in the Parable of the Mustard Seed (Mt. 13 and also in the revelation of Daniel 2:35). The First Coming of Christ Bound Satan So, we will begin analyzing the first three verses, which tell how the Dragon, Satan, was bound in chains and thrown into the abyss that he might no more deceive the nations. Jesus Himself had already said that the act of casting out demons by the Spirit of God was a clear sign that the Kingdom of Heaven had arrived, for the strong man, a clear reference to Satan, had first been bound, in the sense that he could no longer keep his house from being plundered (Mt. 12:22-29). It is interesting to note that the same word used in Matthew 12 to describe the binding of the strong man is also used in Revelation 20 to describe the binding of Satan: the Greek word dhshi. This binding of Satan should be understood in terms of the restricting of his power, in the sense that he cannot continue deceiving the nations in the same way he did until the first coming of Christ (Rev. 20:3). Now, once bound, he cannot impede the advance of Christ and His Church (Mt. 16:18;

24:14; 28:18f; Mk. 13:10; Acts 1:8). Jesus came into the World to undo the works of the devil (1 John 3:8). Jesus clearly showed that his messianic work included more than evangelization, for it involved also the liberation of captives and the oppressed, with restoration of health and justice: The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor. (Lk. 4:18-19, NIV). The Church, which is the Body of Christ, follows in the same mission, without being definitively limited in power by the forces of hell, for we know that the gates of hell will not prevail against it (Mt. 16:18b) and John says the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. (John 1:5). Jesus is King and, as such, has all power in Heaven and on Earth. (Mt. 28:18). There is another text similar to Matthew 12:28f, also in the context of the casting out of demons, being Luke 10:17-24, which describes the joy the disciples experienced in being able to exercise authority over demons. It is interesting to note that here also Jesus mentions the defeat of Satan and his loss of power, but rather than say that Satan was imprisoned or bound, He describes him as falling from Heaven, an evident sign that his power had been greatly abated. And, to confirm this idea, in verse 22, Jesus declares that all things have been committed to Him by His Father. John 12:31-32 is another text which shows how the fall and imprisonment of Satan are directly associated with the fact that not only Jews, but also Gentiles of all nations would be drawn to Christ. The text states, Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out. But I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all men to myself. (NIV) Jesus did not say that this driving out of Satan would happen after His Second Coming. To the contrary, He is emphatic in the use of the adverb now at the occasion of His first coming. The Bible states that Satan received a mortal wound at the first coming of Christ (Gen. 3:15, Col. 2:15). The Church fulfills its mission by the authority of Him who has power in Heaven and on Earth (Mt. 16:18). It is for this reason that the gates of hell will not prevail against her (Mt. 16:18). The Church will succeed in the fulfillment of its mission to witness the Gospel to all nations before the end (Mk 13), for in Heaven there will be an uncountable multitude of the saved from all peoples, languages and nations (Rev. 6 & 7), such that the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea. (Is 11:9, NIV). To reinforce more still this interpretation, we have texts such as 2 Peter 2:4, which speak of the demons as already having been cast into the abyss: God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell, putting them into gloomy dungeons to be held for judgment. (NIV) And Judas 1:6 speaks of demons as already being imprisoned and chained in darkness: And the angels who did not keep

their positions of authority but abandoned their own home--these he has kept in darkness, bound with everlasting chains for judgment on the great Day. (NIV) Note that it is the same type of language as Revelation 20 and treats the question as something past and not future. Note also that the Book of Revelation itself speaks of this abyss in other chapters: When he opened the Abyss, smoke rose from it like the smoke from a gigantic furnace. The sun and sky were darkened by the smoke from the Abyss. (Rev. 9:2, NIV) They had as king over them the angel of the Abyss, whose name in Hebrew is Abaddon, and in Greek, Apollyon. (Rev. 9:11, NIV) Now when they have finished their testimony, the beast that comes up from the Abyss will attack them, and overpower and kill them. (Rev. 11:7, NIV) The beast, which you saw, once was, now is not, and will come up out of the Abyss and go to his destruction. The inhabitants of the earth whose names have not been written in the book of life from the creation of the world will be astonished when they see the beast, because he once was, now is not, and yet will come. (Rev. 17:8, NIV) Note that it is stated that the Beast comes from the Abyss to attack the saints, which agrees with Rev. 20:3 where it says that it is necessary that Satan be freed from the Abyss for a short time. (Compare this with Rev. 12:12 which speaks of the last freedom of Satan, and that he knows his time is short.) Premillennialists themselves recognize that the coming of the Beast will be in the present age, that is, before the Second Coming of Christ. Thus, the teaching of the New Testament is that Jesus bound Satan and inaugurated His reign by His first coming. And as Paul says, he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1 Cor. 15:25-26, NIV). This being the case, the period of the reign of Christ spoken of by Paul can only be the present age, for we know that at Christs Second Coming, death will be destroyed, which Paul repeats in verse 54 of this same chapter: When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory. (NIV). The Nature of the Kingdom of God Now, as to the thousand years, the number is symbolic, like so many others in Revelation (7, 24, 666, 144.000, etc.), and signifies a long, sufficient, and complete period of time the time of Christs earthly reign, which we understand to be the period from His first coming until His Second Coming. In addition to all that has been said to this point, we have also the marvelous revelation of Daniel 2:44 which indicates clearly that the eternal reign of the Messiah would have its beginning during the time of the Roman Empire. The interpretation of the dream indicates four great kingdoms: 1) the head of gold = the Babylonian Empire, 2) the chest of brass = the Medo-Persian Empire, 3) the belly and thighs = the Greek Empire, and 4) the legs and feet = the Roman Empire. The text states: In the time of those kings, the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed, nor will it be left to

another people. It will crush all those kingdoms and bring them to an end, but it will itself endure forever. (Dan. 2:44, NIV). Observe also the description of the Rock: While you were watching, a rock was cut out, but not by human hands. It struck the statue on its feet of iron and clay and smashed them. Then the iron, the clay, the bronze, the silver and the gold were broken to pieces at the same time and became like chaff on a threshing floor in the summer. The wind swept them away without leaving a trace. But the rock that struck the statue became a huge mountain and filled the whole earth. (Dan. 2:34-35, NIV). The appearance of the rock has a miraculous origin, like the birth of Christ, and, in spite of modest beginnings, the rock becomes a great mountain. Does this not remind us of the Church? On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it. (Mt. 16:18, NIV). And comparison with the Parable of the Mustard Seed is inevitable! (Mt. 13). Jesus said that the Kingdom had arrived (Mt. 12:28) and guaranteed that some of His immediate disciples would not die before seeing the Kingdom of God come in power! (Mk. 9:1). For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. (Col. 1:13, NIV). It is for this reason that the Book of Revelation begins declaring that Jesus Christ has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father (Rev. 1:6, NIV). The Church is the Body of Christ and reigns with Him, living in the service of the King. It is necessary to recognize the nature of the Kingdom of Christ, for if on the one hand we know that Jesus is now Lord, and that His reign has already begun, on the other hand, we still do not see all things under Christs feet, as we read in Hebrews 2:8: In putting everything under him, God left nothing that is not subject to him. Yet at present we do not see everything subject to him. (NIV). (See also Hebrews 10:13.) It is necessary to observe that, in the Parable of the Wheat and the Weeds (Mt. 13), that it is one of the parables on the Kingdom of God, and that parallel to the growth of the wheat, the weeds also grew. So, biblical realism helps us avoid the perilous extremes of euphemism on one side, and on the other side, accommodation to those who posit the inauguration of the Kingdom to be after the Second Coming of Christ. Jesus spoke of His Kingdom in spiritual terms and in terms of action in the present age: the kingdom of God does not come with visible appearance for the kingdom of God is in your midst. (Lk. 17:20, 21). The Souls of the Beheaded Verses 4 to 6 speak of those who are seated on thrones, with authority to judge and reign with Christ, highlighting the martyrs, since the Book of Revelation was written to encourage believer enduring tremendous tribulation, which is today known as the Age of the Martyrs. They lost parents, brothers and sisters in Christ and ran the risk of losing their own lives for the sake of the Gospel. From an earthly perspective, the situation was anything but favorable, for thousands of Christians were losing their lives. However, the Book of Revelation sees the martyrs

from a heavenly perspective and there are not a few passages which speak of them as conquerors, who are now serving the Lord day and night, and being comforted by Him, and they are also singing the song of Moses and of the Lamb, and they are actually in a privileged position, living and reigning with Christ. This is in agreement with what is stated by the writer of Hebrews in the beginning of chapter 12, when the great cloud of witnesses is mentioned, referring to the heroes of the faith, the majority of them martyrs of the Old Testament, having been mentioned at the end of chapter 11. In Revelation 20, the term beheaded is used to describe all the martyrs. But if someone insists on interpreting this chapter literally, they would have to conclude that the martyrs who were not decapitated are excluded, which would seem very strange, and would generate a whole series of other questions. The martyrs are the focus for the reason just given, but it may be that this group is more inclusive, including all the children of God, even those who did not die as martyrs. For a Christian, even if he or she does not die as a martyr, should live as a martyr. As it is written: For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered. (Rom. 8:36, NIV). It is interesting to note also that the term witnesses in the expression you will by my witnesses (Acts 1:8) is from the same root as the word martyr. You will be my martyrs would be a possible translation. In addition to all this, we have other texts which affirm that believers still living in this world are also reigning with Christ. Paul declares that believers in Christ, who live in this world, have already been resurrected and seated with Christ in the heavenly places the place of Gods throne: And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus. (Eph. 2:6, NIV). Paul states this has already happened. It is not future. It is present reality. Paul teaches that believers in Christ have been resurrected and are now reigning with Christ over every principality and power. Such resurrection and reigning are presented in spiritual terms. Jesus affirmed that his Kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36). Jesus said things to His disciples which show in what sense Christians would be reigning her on Earth: "I tell you the truth, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. (Mt. 18:18, NIV). I have given you authority to trample on snakes and scorpions and to overcome all the power of the enemy; nothing will harm you. (Lk. 10:19, NIV). The Church acts as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. (Mt. 5:13-16). The mention of the souls of the beheaded in Revelation 20 is very similar to the vision of the martyrs in glory described in chapter 6. They are parallel texts, so that one helps us better understand the other. When he opened the fifth seal, I saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained. They called out in a loud voice, How long, Sovereign Lord, holy and true, until you judge the inhabitants of the earth and avenge our blood? Then each of them was given a white robe, and they were told to wait a little longer, until the number of their fellow servants and brothers who were to be killed as they had been was completed. (Rev. 6:9-11, NIV). The similarity of the two descriptions is remarkable. Compare the

souls of those who had been slain because of the word of God and the testimony they had maintained with the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. (Rev. 20:4, NIV). The martyrs have knowledge of what happens here on earth in the time of the Great Tribulation. They cry out for justice and receive white robes and are told to wait a little longer, for the Second Coming of Christ and consequent resurrection and Final Judgment are yet to come! What is seen in Revelation 6 is seen also in Revelation 20, for the souls of the beheaded await the resurrection of the body, which description is given at the end of chapter 20, more precisely, in verse 13. So, the resurrection of the body and final judgment are described at the end of chapter 20, after the description of the thousand-year reign. That this resurrection is general including both believers and unbelievers is deduced from the phrase which states, If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (v. 15, NIV). This indicates the existence of two distinct groups: those whose names are written in the Book of Life, and those which are not, and this agrees perfectly with the description of final judgment performed by the Lord Jesus: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Mt. 25:31-33, 46, NIV). And this is exactly in agreement with what was prophesied by Daniel: Multitudes who sleep in the dust of the earth will awake: some to everlasting life, others to shame and everlasting contempt. (12:2, NIV). (See also 2 Cor. 5:10; Rom. 14:10-12.) The Two Resurrections Regarding the two resurrections of Revelation 20, the first (v. 5) is spiritual in nature, being a reference to the new birth and the condition of the saved, with names written in the Book of Life, as can be seen in the parallel text found at v. 15. Whoever is born again does not suffer the second death nor condemnation to hell. Verse 14 states that the Second Death is the Lake of Fire. There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. (Rom. 8:1, NIV) I tell you the truth, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life. (John 5:24, NIV). Therefore, anyone whose name is written in the Book of Life, that is, who has taken part in the First Resurrection, will not suffer the Second Death. Both the First Resurrection and the Second Death are spiritual in nature. It would not be coherent to say that a physical resurrection frees someone from a spiritual condemnation. The New Testament uses with frequency the terms resurrection, raised, and resurrected, to describe the condition of the believer in Christ: having been buried with

him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col. 2:12, NIV). Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1, NIV). We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. (Rom. 6:4, NIV). We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers. Anyone who does not love remains in death. (1 John 3:14, NIV). God is not the God of the dead, but of the living so Christian martyrs are alive in God and reign with Christ. We see in the fifth chapter of Johns Gospel the use of the term resurrection in both the spiritual and the physical sense within one and the same context (John 5:25-29). Thus, it would not be strange for the same thing to happen in another of Johns writings. The first resurrection mentioned in Revelation 20 is spiritual, presented mainly to indicate the victory of the martyrs who live and reign with Christ, for the intermediate state of believers between death and resurrection is a period of life (Lk. 20:38) and consciousness (Rev. 6:9-11), which according to Paul is an incomparably better state than that of believers before death (Phil. 1:23), which causes him even to prefer to leave the body to be with the Lord (2 Cor. 5:8), for they enjoy the presence of the Lord in a superior dimension, being found before the throne of God, serving God day and night in His sanctuary, they have no more hunger, nor thirst, nor suffer any longer the intemperments of life, for they are shepherded and consoled by Christ (Rev. 7:15-17). And here in Revelation 20, we see that they also take part in some way in the privilege of reigning together with Christ. Now, the second resurrection is described in verses 11 to 13 as something distinct from the first, being a clear reference to the resurrection of the body which will happen at the Second Coming of Christ. The first coming of Christ brought us the first resurrection, which is the new birth, and the Second Coming will bring us the second resurrection the resurrection of the body. The second death is a reference to eternal punishment, which implies that the first resurrection, mentioned by John, is not a physical resurrection. If believers now had here (Rev. 20:6) been physically raised, with glorified bodies, they would now be enjoying the full joy of the coming life and it would not be necessary to say that the second death has no power over them. This being the case, we have here the use of a literary devise common to that era known as Chiasm, which arranges the four elements (first and second resurrection, and first and second death) in such a way as to establish a diagonal contrast in the shape of an X, as it were, as illustrated in the diagram below, where each a) is set against a b); spiritual contrasted with spiritual and physical with physical. Note that this contrast, at least in its spiritual dimension, between the first resurrection and the second death, can also be seen in verse 15, which says, If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. (NIV) The phrase found written in the book of life indicates the condition of the saved one who has been born again, who has now been spiritually raised with Christ and has now passed from death to life. While, in verse 14, it is stated that the lake of fire is the second death.

Thus, this text establishes the same contrast as that found in verse 6, which says, Blessed and holy are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years. (NIV) The argument in defense of this interpretation of the first resurrection as being spiritual in nature is strengthened not only by the contrast established, but also by the parallel which is seen between verses 6 and 15, where the expression of v. 6, those who have part in the first resurrection has its parallel expression in v. 15 in terms which leave no doubt as to its spiritual nature: found written in the book of life. In other words, those who have part in the first resurrection is the same as saying, found written in the book of life. See the following diagram:

Demonstrative Diagram Revelation 20:6

First Resurrection spiritual symbol of eternal life found written in the Book of Life (Compare v. 6 with v. 15.) First Death (implied) physical death Second Resurrection (come to life v. 5) General physical resurrection (v. 13)

Second Death spiritual (v. 6) symbol of eternal death The lake of fire is the second death. (v.14)

For those who insist that both uses of the term ezesan in Revelation 20 refer to physical resurrections, there are still two more interpretations which are possible, plausible, and in perfect harmony with the Gospels and the Epistles. First, ezesan can mean the martyrs transition from physical death to life with Christ in Heaven during the intermediate period between death and resurrection. And also, we may affirm with propriety that the first resurrection was the resurrection of Jesus, the firstborn from among the dead (Col. 1:18)! Thus, those who are in Christ are, in fact, identified with His death and resurrection, having now passed from death to life (John 5:24), just as the Apostle Paul phrased it so well, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. (Col. 2:12, NIV). Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. (Col. 3:1, NIV). Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. (Rom. 6:13, NIV). Even in the intermediate stage, between death and resurrection, the souls of believers are very alive and active in Heaven (Rev. 6 & 7), which is different from what happens to the

rest of the dead who believe not in God. For God is not the God of the dead, but rather is God of the living (Mk. 12:27). The intermediate stage of the saved is not infinitely superior to our earthly existence, which led Paul to exclaim, I desire to depart and be with Christ, which is better by far (Phil. 1:23, NIV), and also, We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord. (2 Cor. 5:8, NIV). This is so true that the writer of Hebrews, after describing a series of martyrs and heroes of faith, begins chapter 12 saying that we who are alive on earth are surrounded by a great cloud of living witnesses in the heavens (Heb. 12:1). The souls of the beheaded live and reign from the high heavens! (Rev. 20). Obviously, this text from Revelation cannot be interpreted literally, for otherwise, we would be forced to conclude that only the souls of the beheaded rise to reign, which would exclude believers who died by other means; something not even the strictest literalist would be capable of affirming. Thus, it is obvious that the reference to the beheaded is much broader and more inclusive, involving all who are in Christ. Paul taught that our position in Christ is very exalted. As those risen from the dead, we are now seated with Christ on His throne, far above all principalities and powers and over every kingdom and dominion which exist upon the earth (Eph. 2:6). Believers in Christ exercise authority over demons (Lk. 10:16f), the evil one does not touch them (1 John 5:18).

Second Coming, General Resurrection, and Final Judgment

There is only one general and physical resurrection of all, whether of believers or unbelievers (Dan. 12:2, Acts 24:14, 15), and after this the Final Judgment and the eternal state of each, For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that each one may receive what is due him for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad. (2 Cor. 5:10, NIV). Those without there names written in the Book of Life will be condemned (Rev. 20:11-13). Jesus clearly taught that the resurrection will be general for everyone believers and unbelievers, some unto life and others unto condemnation: Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out--those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned. (John 5:28-29, NIV). And, in Matthew 25:31-46, we read that, with the Second Coming of Christ there will be final judgment with the separation of the goats from the sheep, the first going to eternal punishment and the latter to eternal life. So, it is reasonable to conclude that Revelation 20 is not teaching anything new, such as two separate physical resurrections separated by a period of one thousand years, but rather, speaking symbolically (which is characteristic of apocalyptic literature) on the theme of resurrection in a manner which agrees with all the other texts of the Old and New Testaments, which are unanimous in the teaching of just one general resurrection, of both believers and unbelievers, followed by Final Judgment. We will look now at a better way of understanding the nature of the Kingdom of God and its close relation with the nature and mission of Jesus and the Holy Spirit. The events related in Revelation 19 and 20 are not in chronological order, as the premillennialists claim. Chapter 19 does not end with a description of the Second

Coming, but rather with a clear description of final judgment, culminating with the destruction of all the enemies of God. If chapter 19 concludes with the death of all those inhabitants of the Earth whose names are not written in the Book of Life, who remains of the nations for a millennial reign on Earth? In addition to this, the millennium described in Revelation 20 does not describe Jesus reigning from Jerusalem, but from Heaven. It also makes no sense to posit a general revolt against Jesus at the end of one thousand years. The idea of armies marching across the earth with armaments to attack Jesus and the glorified and indestructible saved is absurd. At a minimum, it sounds strange to say that Jesus needs fire to fall from the sky to destroy His enemies, when we know well that it is Jesus Himself who comes down from Heaven (with blazing fire) to destroy His enemies. We have here an allusion to the Second Coming of Christ to rescue His Church suffering persecution in the time of the Great Tribulation. Paul taught that Jesus Christ would return in the midst of blazing fire to judge humanity (2 Thess. 1:6-10) and Isaiah says the same See, the LORD is coming with fire, and his chariots are like a whirlwind; he will bring down his anger with fury, and his rebuke with flames of fire. For with fire and with his sword the LORD will execute judgment upon all men, and many will be those slain by the LORD. (Is. 66:1516, NIV). Jesus is not assisted by flames of fire. He returns to Earth in flames of fire. In the Second Coming of Christ, sinners do not have the hope of a thousand-year reign, but rather, the terrible expectation of Final Judgment: When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ... Then he will say to those on his left, Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life. (Mt. 25:31-32, 41, 46, NIV). Therefore, Revelation 20 is not teaching anything new or different from the teaching of Jesus and His Apostles that the first coming of Christ inaugurated the Kingdom of God in which Jesus reigns from His celestial throne, subduing one by one His enemies beneath His feet. His ultimate enemy death will be destroyed at the time of His Second Coming, which will be unique, personal, visible, powerful, in blazing fire, bringing a general resurrection of all for final judgment, when the weeds will be separated from the wheat and the goats from the midst of the sheep. The dead in Christ will rise and will receive indestructible spiritual bodies capable of living in eternity, in the celestial Jerusalem. We do not belong to the earthly Jerusalem our citizenship is heavenly. We await new heavens and new earth, our celestial dwelling, which Jesus went to prepare.

Apendix A: 36 Questions for premillennialists

Paul was not premillennialist, because he taught that the resurrection of the body will happen at the end of the millennium and not at the beginning: "For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death... When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: Death has been swallowed up in victory. (1 Corinthians 15.25, 26, 54, NIV). 1. How can premillennialists say there will be death in a millennium after the Second Coming of Christ as the Apostle Paul clearly teaches that the Second Coming of Christ will destroy death? (1 Corinthians 15.25, 26, 54). 2. How can a premillennialist exclaim Death has been swallowed up in victory at the Second Coming of Christ when he believes death will continue to have victims in the millennium? 3. Who is correct: Paul, when he affirms that death shall be destroyed at Christs Second Coming, or the premillennialists who teach that this will occur only after the millennium? 4. Does not the term "until" in 1 Corinthians 15:25 indicate a gradual development of the Kingdom in which the enemies are being gradually put under the feet of Christ and not abruptly as taught by premillennialists? 5.How can the premillennial interpretation be harmonized with the Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13) which teach that the kingdom of God is established gradually, much as the development of a mustard plant, and is also hybrid, because it includes the presence of weeds in among the wheat, where we also have the presence of evil represented by the enemy who sows the weeds and birds that steal the seed? 6. Since the Apostle Paul teaches that the reign of Christ takes place gradually until the destruction of the last enemy, that is death, how can the

pre-millennialists claim that millennium will begin after the Second Coming? 7. If Paul teaches that the physical resurrection of the dead in Christ marks the destruction of the last enemy (death), and if he also teaches that it is necessary that Jesus reign until He has put all his enemies under His feet, how can the premillennialists teach that the resurrection of the dead will precede the millenial reign of Christ, since Paul points to the exact opposite of this? 8. If the Second Coming of Christ destroys the last enemy, why would there still be room for the emergence of new enemies that would promote rebellion and war at the end of the millennium as claimed by the premillennialists? 9. After His glorious Coming, why would Jesus still have to rule over his enemies with a rod of iron and why he would still have to crush an absurd rebellion in the end of the millennium? 10. Why would Jesus, after his his glorious Second Coming, need to undergo another humiliation represented by a global rebellion against his righteous rule of one thousand years? 11. How can it be explained that at the end of the millennium, Satan will be released, and in a short period of time, be able to promote an unprecedented rebellion against Jesus, gathering in a countless multitude of all nations? 12. What arguments would use Satan to deceive the nations at the end of a millennium physically and personally chaired by the Almighty, just and loving Christ? 13. Is it not absurd that a multitude of rebels would feel any sort of hope of victory against the Almighty Christ and his saints with glorified and immortal bodies?

14. Who will be the people over which Christ and the redeemed will reign? Dont tell me they would be exactly the people who, at the Second Coming of Christ, were not found among the group of believers, in other words, that they were followers of the Beast! 15. If this were the case, how could we justify that a crowd of followers of the Antichrist, who have the mark of the beast would have the privilege to enjoy the Millennial Reign of Christ instead of encountering the Last Judgment? 16. How could the privilege of a millennium offered to the followers of the Beast be reconciled with the cry for justice of the Christian martyrs killed during the Great Tribulation as found in Rev. 6:10? 17. The angel's answer to the cry of the martyrs for justice indicates a millennial period of waiting until the day of Judgment, or points directly to the time when "the full number of their fellow servants, their brothers and sisters, were killed just as they had been" (Rev. 6:11). In other words, if the Judgment has not come yet because the total number of martyrs is not complete, would not a direct connection be thus established between the present era and the Last Judgment? Otherwise, it would not just be a question of awaiting the completion of the number of martyrs, but far beyond this, it would be necessary for them to wait a thousand years while their persecutors enjoyed the millennial reign. 18. How many ages are there? Jesus taught the existence of two ages, the present age and the age to come, and never even suggested something like a third intermediate age of a thousand years. According to Christ, what is to come is the resurrection of the dead to eternal life in a celestial Jerusalem. (Mark 10.29,30; Luke 18:30; Luke 20.34,35). 19. Jesus taught more about the Kingdom of God than anything else, so why is it He never mentioned anything about a millennial kingdom on earth after His Second Coming?

20. Why would the dead in Christ, who are already enjoying the heavenly glory in the intermediate state, rise to return to a land where sin and death still exist? Would not that be a setback or an anticlimax? 21. Does not the presence of resurrected, heavenly bodies indicate a life in heaven where there is no more place for sin or death? 22. Why postpone the final judgment over all evil and also delay the enjoyment of the celestial destiny of the saints? 23. How can the millennium be fit between the Second Coming of Christ and the Last Judgment, when Jesus and his Apostles taught categorically that the Last Judgment will take place immediately after the Second Coming? (Matthew 25.31.33; 1 Thessalonians 5.2,3; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10). 24. How can the premillennialists affirm that the Book of Revelation describes the future events in chronological order if the birth of Jesus, recorded in chapter 12, is described immediately after the narrative of the Two Witnesses and the Final Judgement recorded in chapter 11? 25. How can we accept that the millennium described in Chapter 20 is an event immediately following the Second Coming of Christ as described in Chapter 19, when the same chapter 19 concludes with a description of the judgment resulting in the destruction of all enemies of God? Who would remain alive for the enjoyment of the millennium? 26 When will "the harvest of the earth" be ripe for "the great winepress of the wrath of God" at the end of the millennium (pre-millennial) or at the Second Coming of Christ? And is not the description of the Son of Man sitting on a white cloud a clear picture of the Second Coming of Christ? (Rev 14:7-20, see also: Mark 13:26, 14.62, Mat 24.30, 26.64, Luke 21:27, 1 Thessalonians 4:17, Rev. Dan 1.7 and 7.13);

27. Why is it that teaching the existence of two bodily resurrections separated by one thousand years is not found in the Scriptures of the Old Testament, nor even in the Gospels and Epistles, on the contrary, what we see in the Bible is the clear teaching that there will be a general resurrection and, after that, the final judgment? (John 5:28-29, Daniel 12:2, Acts 24:15). 28. Why should disciples desire a millennium on earth when Jesus promised a heavenly home? Did Jesus promise His disciples to return to take them back to Himself, or to stay with them, forming a kingdom here on earth? (John 14:3; Phil. 3:20). 29. Where is it that Peter said the promise of justice will be fulfilled in the old land or in the new heaven and earth? (2 Peter 3:13) 30. Since Jesus said his kingdom was not of this world, why he would still reign on the earth? (John 8: 23; 18:36); 31. What does the Bible say about the duration of Christ's kingdom? (Daniel 2:44, 4:3, 7:14, 7:27, Isaiah 9:6-7, Psalm 145:13, Psalm 45:6, Luke 1:32,33, 2 Peter 1:11) 32.Where is the throne of King Jesus on earth or in heaven? (Rev. 4:2, 3:21, Rev. 7:17, Rev. 20:11, Rev. 5:13, Ps 103:19, Matt 23:22, Matt 5:34), Acts 7:49, Hebrews 10:12-13) 33. Why do not we find a physical description of Jesus reigning on a throne in Jerusalem even in Revelation 20? And why does the text of Revelation 12:5 say that Jesus needed to be taken away from the earth to get to his heavenly throne and rule the nations with a rod of iron? 34. How many times is Satan bound and loosed? How should the following texts be interpreted, which speak of Satan as having been tied up and having already lost power during the First Coming of Christ? (Matt. 12:28, 29, Luke 10:18-19, Matthew 28:18, Hebrews 2:8-9, 1 Corinthians 15:25 and Matthew 16:18).

35. Why not recognize the claim of Christ, who said that the Kingdom of God had come in his days, having as one of its signs the expulsion of demons by the Spirit of God? (Matt. 12:28; 28:18; Heb. 2.8 -9, see also 1 Corinthians 15:25 and Matthew 16:18). 36.Could it be that, after the glorious Second Coming of Christ we would return to the "weak and beggarly elements" of the Old Covenant, such as the temple in Jerusalem, animal sacrifices, Jewish exaltation and other things of this nature? (Galatians 4:9; Hebrews 9.8-12, 10.1-14)

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