************ Sermon on Belgic Confession Article 37h ************
Doctrine: Eschatology; Millennium
By: Rev. Adrian Dieleman
This sermon was preached on November 14, 1999
B.C. 37h
Revelation 20:1-6
"The Thousand-Year Reign of Christ"
Introduction
Tonight we are going to study the millennium. "Millennium" is the Latin word for "thousand." In theology it refers to the thousand-year reign of Christ.
I The Three Major Views of the Millennium
A Our Scripture reading from Revelation 20 is easily the most fought over section of the entire Bible. It has been the source of endless and bitter disputes. This is so because there are three major views of its teachings about the millennium. These views are the post millennial view; the pre-millennial view; and the a-millennial view. In order to properly understand Revelation 20 permit me to spend a few moments summarizing the three views.
B The first view is the post-millennial. This view says the coming of Christ is post-millennial, or after the millennium. During the millennium Christ reigns in heaven. This view does not see a visible reign of Christ from an earthly throne.
According to this view the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ have opened the way for the Kingdom of God to be established in power in this life and on this earth. Through the ministry of the church, whose job it is to proclaim the news of the Kingdom, it is expected that the vast majority of men will turn to Christ in repentance and faith.
What is wrong with this viewpoint? First, we would have to say that the post-millennialists have an over-positive outlook on this earth and this life. Through the ministry of the church they see things as gradually getting better and better until eventually this earth will see a time of peace, prosperity, and spiritual glory such as it has never seen before. Sin will be reduced to an absolute minimum. Society will have Christian standards. So when Christ does return, He returns to a basically Christian world. In contrast to this, we all know that the world is not gradually becoming a better place; if anything, the opposite seems to be happening. Each advance in technology seems to mean new and innovative ways to sin against God and man. And, wars and rumors of wars are becoming more and more frequent. Sin has infected the world and mankind too deeply for perfection to ever come in this life and on this earth.
Second, we would have to say that the post-millennialist also has an over-positive outlook on the world of men. Rather than thinking that the world is lost and only individuals are saved, the post-millennialist thinks of the world as being saved and only individuals as being lost. The Bible, on the other hand, considers the whole world to be lost in sin and not just certain individuals.
Last week Saturday I biked to Three Rivers and decided to go up the North Fork. In the hills I came across an historical marker for a utopian society – essentially a socialist commune – established in the 1880s called Advance. The people of this commune held to a post-millennial viewpoint – thinking that by human striving a perfect society can be established here on earth.
C A second position is that of pre-millennialism. This view says the coming of Christ is pre-millennial, or before the millennium. Pre-millennialists say that Jesus Himself establishes a literal thousand-year reign on earth before the end of time will come.
Pre-millennials teach that during the thousand-year reign of Christ Satan is literally bound so he will not be able to deceive the nations. The souls of those who have been martyred in the great tribulation just prior to Christ's return are raised in what is called the first resurrection; these souls are raised so that they can reign with Christ on earth for the thousand years. When the thousand years are over Satan is released from his prison and then comes the events leading to the final judgment and the end of time.
What is wrong with this viewpoint? We would have to say that pre-millennialism takes parts of the Bible too literally. Pre-millennialism fails to distinguish between different kinds of Biblical literature and treats prophecy and history in essentially the same way. Pre-millennialism fails to realize that parts of the Scripture are to be taken figuratively or symbolically.
Pre-millennialism is the viewpoint taken by almost every church except those of a Reformed or Presbyterian background. It is also the view that is most popular among radio and TV preachers.
D A third position is known as a-millennialism. This view says the coming of Christ is a-millennial. This means the coming of Christ is separate or apart from the millennium. A-millennialists do not believe the millennium is a literal thousand-years or that Christ's millennial reign is on earth. A-millennialists believe the millennium is symbolic for the whole time between the first and second comings of Christ. This view says that though Christ rules right now through His Word and Spirit the Kingdom of Satan also continues to exist and will exist until the end of the world.
The biggest weakness of this viewpoint is that too much of the Bible is simply spiritualized. Instead of specific prophecies being literally fulfilled they are, instead, spiritually fulfilled.
The a-millennial viewpoint is generally held by those of the Reformed/Presbyterian tradition. But I should also point out that none of our Creeds and Confessions define a Reformed understanding of the millennium. More than once the Christian Reformed Synod has refused to speak on the matter.
It will become obvious, as we look at Revelation 20, that I am speaking from an a-millennial viewpoint.
II The Defeat of Satan
A In teaching us about the millennium, Scripture starts off by introducing us to an angel coming down out of heaven. In his hand is a great chain with which to hand-cuff and fetter Satan; a chain with which to tie up Satan like a dog or dangerous criminal. The angel also has a key to the bottomless pit. This pit is a vast underground cavern where disobedient spirits are kept while awaiting judgment.
We know that Satan, as spirit, cannot be shackled with a chain. We further know there cannot be a literal key to the pit or abyss. This warns us that John uses symbolism here. What the chain and key show us is that the angel has been given authority over the abyss and that he has been given power to restrain Satan. The angel with his key and chain teaches us about the final unimportance of Satan: it is not the Father, nor the Son, but only an unnamed angel who deals with Satan.
B John next introduces us to Satan and the four names by which he is known throughout the book of Revelation. He is called "Satan," the adversary of God's people who accuses them of wrongdoing in God's court. He is the "dragon" defeated in heavenly combat by the archangel Michael. He is the "serpent" who tried to sweep away God's people with a flood. And he is the "devil" who knows that his time is short.
Because he has been given the power of the chain and key, the angel ties Satan up and throws him into the pit. The pit is sealed and locked. Satan is to stay in there for a thousand years.
What, specifically, is meant by the binding of Satan? It means that God has established boundaries, He has put limits, to what Satan can do. Satan, for instance, cannot prevent the spread of the Gospel to the nations. Also, he cannot gather all the enemies of Christ together to attack and destroy the church. He is able to deceive but he is not able to cause the final falling away of God's elect. Finally, He cannot separate us from the love of God in Christ.
C When we study the rest of Scripture it becomes obvious that the binding of Satan has already happened because of the life, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ.
(Lk 10:17-18) The seventy-two returned with joy and said, "Lord, even the demons submit to us in your name." (18) He replied, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven.
(Jn 12:31) Now is the time for judgment on this world; now the prince of this world will be driven out.
(Col 2:15) And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
When the Pharisees accused Jesus of casting out demons by the power of Satan, Jesus replied,
(Mt 12:29) "... how can anyone enter a strong man's house and carry off his possessions unless he first ties up the strong man? Then he can rob his house..."
In other words, right now, today, Satan is bound, he is imprisoned.
D But now a warning: just because Satan is imprisoned does not mean he is harmless. Peter says:
(1 Pet 5:8) Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.
We all know first-hand, don't we, through sin and suffering and temptation the tremendous power of Satan. For instance, it was Satan, though cast down, who put it into the heart of Judas to betray the Lord. It was Satan, though imprisoned, who got Ananias and Sapphira to lie about their money. Yes, though bound Satan continues to be a force to be reckoned with. We can say that Satan is like a wild and cornered animal.
We used to have a beautiful German Shepherd dog. I remember the time I was working outside when my dog went into her dog house. Suddenly I heard a painful yelp. The dog came tearing out of the dog house and right behind here were two very angry and upset black birds. My dog found out that when you corner a bird -- or any animal for that matter -- it will fight.
Satan is like this. He has been cornered but this makes him especially dangerous.
III The Victory of Christ's People
A Turning from the binding of Satan on earth, John now directs our attention to the martyrs of the Christian faith in heaven.
These martyrs have been beheaded – their heads chopped off by the sword. They were executed, first of all, because of their testimony to Jesus and for the Word of God. In word and deed, in doctrine and in life, they were witnesses to Christ and the truth. They were executed, secondly, because they refused to worship the beast or his image. In every way these martyrs tried to be faithful to Christ and refused to compromise their faith and go the way of the world.
B Now follows what are easily the most controversial words in the passage:
(Rev 20:4) They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years ... This is the first resurrection.
Pre-millennialists says this describes a literal, physical resurrection from the dead and therefore is proof for a thousand-year reign of Christ on earth after His Second Coming.
The clue to understanding these words, I believe, rests with verse 4a. Those whom John sees reigning with Christ and sitting on thrones he identifies as "souls." They have died for the Lord and John now sees them as alive. They are alive in that they are now with Christ. They are alive in that they are now enjoying fellowship with Christ in heaven. They are alive in that they are now enjoying the blessings and rewards of heaven. John identifies this as a "first resurrection" – and, in a real sense, it is, because they died and are now seen to be alive in the Lord.
Imagine, for a moment, how comforting these words must have been to John's readers. In John's time the church was sorely oppressed and frequently persecuted. John tells the church that though many of their fellow-believers have died, they are actually alive in heaven and are now reigning with Christ.
The believing dead, they not only reign with Christ but they are also "given authority to judge." In some wonderful, glorious way, those who have died in the faith now rule and judge with Christ in heaven. They share in Christ's victory and glory.
Conclusion
When it comes to the thousand-year reign of Christ we believe in a realized millennium. We believe that Christ is King now. We believe that Jesus rules now. We believe that the millennium is now.
We have many reasons for believing this. First of all, I think of Jesus' final words before He left this earth:
(Mt 28:18-19) "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations ..."
I also think of Ascension Day. On Ascension Day we celebrate the fact that when Christ left this earth He ascended into heaven, sat down at the right hand of God, and was given kingdom, power, and glory.
Finally, I think also of Paul's words to the church at Ephesus:
(Eph 1:20-22) [God seated Christ] at his right hand in the heavenly realms, (21) far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. (22) And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church ...
The millennium, the thousand year reign of Christ, is not a future hope but a present reality. We don't have to wait for the second coming to experience the blessedness of Christ's rule because Christ's rule is now. We don't occupy ourselves with some future reign of Christ. We are busy at work in the world, instead, recognizing the present Lordship of Christ in every area of life.
Our message to the world about the thousand-year reign of Christ, then, is this: the millennium is now; Christ is Lord now.