The nature of the Millennium is arguably the most controversial subject in the study of biblical future, but most of the views can be summarized in three major perspectives. It is critical to know these viewpoints because what we believe about this thousand-year period affects everything else we believe about biblical prophecy, the future, and the events leading up to the return of Christ.
Post- Millennialism
The word post is a prefix that means “after”. Adherents of Post-Millennialism believe the Millennium is an extended time of societal improvement, and Jesus Christ will return to earth after the thousand years of kingdom living occur. He will come after (or post) the Millennium to a utopian world. This view was introduced by an English theologian named Daniel Whitby (1638-1726), who claimed that the promises God made regarding a golden age are being fulfilled now, prior to our Lord’s return, through the preaching of the Gospel by the Church.
To hold a Post- Millennialism view, therefore, you have to believe things are getting better in our world all the time. This perspective flourished in the early days of the twentieth century amidst overall peace, prosperity, and an unbelievable explosion of inventions like the automobile, airplanes, and radio. Almost overnight, all that changed. World War I broke out and brought a huge wave of sadness and sobriety to Post- Millennialism. The global flu epidemic that followed World War I blanketed the world in death. Then came The Great Depression, followed by World War II, and the ensuing Cold War with its threat of nuclear apocalypse. Rather than evolving into utopia, the world lurched from one crisis to another, like an airplane in a death spiral.
As a result, Post-Millennialism lost a lot of its steam as the twentieth century unfolded.
To hold a Post- Millennialism view, you have to believe things are getting better in our world all the time.
A- Millennialism
The second view, A-Millennialism, is formed by the Greek prefix a, which negates a word and means “no.”
A-Millennialism, then, literally means “no Millennium.” Those holding this view do not believe there will be a future thousand-year reign of Christ, but when He returns He will immediately usher in the new heaven and new earth. Moreover, they believe that the promises God made to Israel in the Old Testament, which can only now be fulfilled during a millennial reign, should be spiritualized and interpreted in a symbolic way.
For example, consider the words of the prophet Isaiah, who spoke of a day of peace among the nations:
The mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established on the top of the mountains … and all nations shall flow to it. Many people shall come and say, ‘Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; He will teach us His ways ….’ He shall judge between the nations, and rebuke many people; they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war anymore (Isaiah 2:2-4).
This passage would indicate a coming age when people from all the nations of the world will flow into Jerusalem to hear the Lord teach His Word, and peace shall prevail among all the nations. A-Millennialists do not believe there will be such a coming age upon the earth. Rather, the spirit of what Isaiah said is happening now as the Church takes the Gospel to the world, and the Church is currently reigning with Christ over the earth.
One of the soundest principles for Bible study is this one: If a passage can reasonably be interpreted literally, do so.
The only way to make A-Millennialism work is to spiritualize and symbolize the many Old Testament Scriptures that promise a coming Golden Age. Once you begin doing that, you get away from a literal interpretation of the Bible. One of the soundest principles for Bible study is this one: If a passage can reasonably be interpreted literally, do so. When the biblical writer obviously uses symbolic language, then interpret that symbol within the context of the passage. A-Millennialism doesn’t follow this rule, and that leads to speculation rather than clarity.
Pre- Millennialism
The weaknesses of Post-Millennialism and A-Millennialism point us in the direction of the third view, which fits the Scriptures much more clearly and perfectly—Pre-Millennialism. This is the oldest of the three views and the easiest to explain and understand. It holds that Jesus Christ will physically return to this earth at the end of the Great Tribulation, defeat His enemies at the Battle of Armageddon, and then set up His kingdom on this earth. He will reign for a thousand years, bringing human history full circle and to a fitting climax.
According to this view, when Revelation 20 talks about a thousand years, that’s what it means. It will be a period of time after the Tribulation when Jesus Christ comes back to literally reign on earth, and during that time all the promises of the Old Testament concerning the nation of Israel and the kingdom will be fulfilled exactly as given. The redeemed Jews will live in their homeland, and the world will experience the kind of golden era it has always wanted.
Jesus Christ will physically return to this earth and set up His kingdom, bringing human history full circle and to a fitting climax.
According to Revelation 20, the Millennium will nevertheless end with a final rebellion of humanity against God, and at that time Christ will exert His power, bring the old earth to its ultimate conclusion, condemn the unsaved at the Great White Throne, and bring about the new heaven and the new earth. If you take a moment to scan the last several chapters of the Bible, you’ll see how perfectly this view fits the chronology that unfolds in Revelation 19–22. The Millennium—this thousand year reign of Christ— links the Second Coming and the eternal state, serving as a perfect transition between the two.
