We’re going to study Bible Prophecy for a while, the Lord willing. Particularly the coming “thousand year” rule of Christ on earth! Hence, our term “millennium.” It’s Latin, blending two words, “thousand” (spelled by the Romans “mille”) and the noun “year” (spelled “annum”) into one expression.
I suppose our biggest problem today (in this morning’s lesson, anyway) is the fact that our word (“millennium”) actually does not occur in the King James Bible!
But its equivalent certainly does, six times in one chapter in fact! I’m going to share with you that Text now …
I’ve capitalized our key word(s) … “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 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, 8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea. 9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them. 10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.” Revelation 20:1-10, clearly six times, “thousand years!”
Admittedly our elongated Text does not give a lot of specifics about those “thousand years,” but this much is for sure … “And they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.” Jesus is King during this time, quoting verse 4 above.
Now, to the question asked in the Lesson title … “Is the Millennium a literal or a figurative Bible expression?”
I say LITERAL, without hesitation!
In fact, anytime the Bible is discussing numbers, I take them at face value. Jesus began His Ministry when He was 30 years old! How do we know that? Bible numbers … “And Jesus himself began to be about THIRTY years of age (at His Baptism), being as was supposed the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli ….” Luke 3:23, no one tries to “reinterpret” that number, Jesus’ age.
The last half of the horrible Tribulation Period to yet try this earth lasts 3 1/2 years! Again, how do we know? Revelation 11:2, in part: “And the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.” That’s 3 1/2 years, all right, if taken literally!
Dozens upon dozens of other examples could be cited.
So when I read about a future “thousand year” Reign of Christ upon the earth … about the Millennium … I am persuaded that it means 1,000 specific years, just like John wrote.
Not only that, there are countless other allusions and assertions about the Millennium in Scripture, even if not using the exact words “thousand years.”
And some of those will be the subject of our meditations over the next few days, maybe even weeks!
Bible Prophecy, yes!
— Dr. Mike Bagwell
By the way, the word “millennium” does appear repeatedly in the Latin Vulgate, in Revelation 20.
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