Introduction
The term millennium does not appear anywhere in Scripture. The idea originated from a thousand year period of time that characterizes the reign of the Messiah. In fact, the phrase “thousand years” is stated six times in Revelation 20. There are three main schools of thought based upon one’s view of the thousand-year reign of Christ. These views are: Amillennial, Postmillennial and Premillennial. Over the centuries these prophetic differences have caused conflict within the body of Christ and are still currently widely debated. Instead of the book of Revelation being the basis of comfort (1 Thess. 4:18) among Christians it has become a bone of contention. However, this controversy should not deter Christ’s disciples from receiving the blessings that Revelation has to offer (Rev. 1:3; 14:13; 16:15; 19:9; 20:6; 22:7, 14). Rather, one should study prophecy under the Spirit’s guidance and look at the data provided within the full context of the Word assessing each of the views for correct motives and presuppositions. Therefore, this paper will examine the nature, timing, and duration of the millennium as well as the occupants of the millennial kingdom and the relationship of Israel and the Church to the millennial kingdom. The aim of this paper is to address “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave to him to show to his servants the things that must soon take place” (Rev. 1:1, ESV).
The Nature of the Millennium
The millennium is a period of time in the book of Revelation consisting of a thousand years. During this time the earthly reign of Christ is fulfilled according to the Old and New Testament scriptures. The Old Testament describes God’s kingdom on earth and the Son of Man along with the saints of ...
... middle of paper ...
...k the end will eliminate all but one possibility.
Works Cited
Blaising, Craig A., Kenneth L. Gentry, and Robert B. Strimple. Three Views On the Millennial and Beyond. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1999.
Boyd, Gregory A., and Paul R. Eddy. Across the Spectrum: Understanding Issues in Evangelical Theology. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2009.
Hanko, Ronald. “Amillennialism.” Hudsonville Protestant Reformed Church. Accessed May 6, 2014. http://www.prca.org/current/Doctrine/Volume%208/news-01.htm#Amillennialism.
LaHaye, Tim F., and Edward E. Hindson. The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy. Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers, 2004.
Pentecost, J Dwight. Things to Come: A Study in Biblical Eschatology. Grand Rapids, MI: Academie Books, 1964.
Towns, Elmer L. Theology for Today. 3rd ed. Mason, Ohio: Cengage Learning, 2008.
LaHaye, Tim, and Ed Hindson. The Popular Encyclopedia of Bible Prophecy. Eugene, OR.: Harvest House Publishers, 2004.
Theologian Vern S. Poythress wrote, “Theological systems, whether dispensationalist, covenantal, Calvinist, Arminian, or even modernist, have a profound influence on the way we approach a given [biblical] text.” There is no portion of scripture that is more influenced by the theological system of dispensationalist than that of biblical prophecy, particularly in the area of God’s redemptive plan from for humanity. The purpose of this essay is to establish that an appropriate understanding of biblical eschatology can best be achieved through a dispensational theological perspective.
Pitts, William L. "Changing Views of the Millennium in the Davidian Tradition." Journal of Religious History 24, no. 1 (2000): 87-102.
The finding of the Dead Sea Scrolls or the Qumran Documents is the single most important religious find of the twentieth century. These manuscripts have revolutionized the entire field of biblical study and have the ability to destabilize the mass of western religious thought as we know it today. For the information contained in these scrolls, include books of the Hebrew Bible that predate the next earlier example by one thousand years. The data found in these scrolls enable us to form a historically accurate reconstruction of the time period formative of Rabbinic Judaism and of Christianity. By studying the customs and the religious practices of the Essene people we can put together a snapshot of the religious and political times that were in place at the start of Christianity.
In part 3, the revelation of the New Testament is explored with primary and exclusive focus on the gospels and Jesus. Revelation connected with the...
Although the New Testament has twenty-seven books, I choose to do this research project on the book of Revelation also called Revelation to John. Despite the fact that many people avoid this book, saying that it is confusing, or perhaps even frightening, in my opinion it is the most intriguing and interesting book within the New Testament. The book of Revelation can be quite difficult to understand, there for it often raises more question than answers. However by concentrating on the structure and the symbols within the book, it becomes less difficult to understand. Choosing the book of Revelation for this research paper will give me the opportunity to gain a better understanding of what is in my perspective is one of the most important books in the bible.
In the days of Christ’s life on this earth, believers did not have access to the Bible in its entirety as we know and are familiar with today. Believers in this ancient time period only had access to the Old Testament. However, through their access to the Old Testament, believers were provided a foundation for New Testament times. This foundation provided New Testament believers with the Lord’s established principles of right and wrong they were expected to follow. In addition, the Old Testament is overflowing with accounts of people whose lives exemplified the future life of Christ on this earth. These pictures allowed the Israelite nation to begin to have an understanding of why Christ needed to come as their Messiah and the work He needed to do on earth. Finally, there are common themes that are interwoven throughout the entire Old Testament. Three of these themes: transgression, redemption, and consummation point to the purpose of Christ’s atoning death on the cross. These themes portray God’s work both in the lives of Old Testament believers, but they also foreshadow God’s desire and plan for believers in New Testament times and beyond.
Musser, Donald W. and Joseph L. Price, eds. A New Handbook of Christian Theology. Nashville: 1992
Brooks and A.J Gordon (Balmer 34). Dispensationalism has been gaining followers for many years and its popularity can be seen in many places, such as in the Left Behind series which has captured the minds of many people around the world (Pagels 1). Now with historical context in mind, it is time to see what Dispensationalism teaches. Dispensationalism has three distinct characteristics: Rapture of Christians, Millennium Rule of Christ, and the Unfulfilled Prophecies of the Bible. For the purpose of this paper they will all be examined separately. The Rapture is the belief that Christians will be brought up and not have to endure the Tribulation (Robinson). The term “rapture” does not occur in the Bible but instead comes from a Latinized version of the word arpadzo which comes from “caught up” (Witherington 94). The belief in the Rapture for Dispensationalists is based on 1st Thessalonians 4:16-17 which they claim describes an event where living Christians return to heaven with Christ (Robinson). Secondly, the Millennium Rule is the belief that Jesus Christ will literally rule over earth for 1,000 years after the Tribulation (Robinson). The key here is that (as opposed to the Post-Millennial views) the believers have no part in setting up his reign
Dake, F. J. (1991). The Dake Annotated Reference Bible, King James Version, Red Lettered Edition, (pp. 56, 280). Lawrenceville, GA: Dake Bible Sales, Inc.
Christ will soon reign again! Some of the most debated scriptures in the Bible are located in Revelation 20:1-6. This is the period in which Satan is bound and thrown into the bottomless pit. He loses all of his influence on earth for 1000. Consequently, during 1000 years Christ will reign, and all the martyrs, who lost their lives during the tribulation period would be resurrected to reign with Him. Clouse writes, “This period is a time when all humankind’s yearning for an ideal society characterized by peace, freedom, material prosperity, and the rule of righteousness will be realized.” The revelation that one will get from prophecy, in particular this verses depends upon their view point. There are three major millennial views: amillennial, premillennial, and postmillennial. Although, people are entitled to their own opinion about scripture, however, when reading scripture their interpretation should be back up
Girod, Gary. "Are The Millennials The Screwed Generation." Mag.newsweek.com. Joel Kotkin, 16 July 2012. Web. 24 Oct. 2013.
Amillennialists generally assume that all millennium prophecies are fulfilled in between the first and the second coming of Christ (Gregg 459). The time subsequent to the first coming and prior to the second coming is known as the golden age. The Golden Age specifically refers to the Messiah ruling on earth (27). Only, amillennialists would say Christ's thousand year reign takes place in heaven with the souls of deceased believers (Rev 20).
New International Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 1997. Osborne, Grant R. Revelation. Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2002.
This concise paper will investigate and elaborate on the themes and ideas on eschatology that are found in the New Testament and will begin to draw forth connections and present arguments and conclusions from these themes and