Premillennialism: When Is the 1000 Year Reign of Christ? by Scott Mixon

According to the theory of Premillennialism, the Lord will return to the earth after seven years of tribulation to fight the battle of Armageddon against the devil and his army. Christ and His army will be victorious and He will execute judgment upon the ungodly. The Lord will then usher in His Kingdom on earth that will last for 1,000 years. Specific beliefs vary between religious groups, but that is the basic theory.

The battle of Armageddon, as taught in Premillennialism, is based on a misinterpretation of Revelation 19. In Revelation 19:11-19, the King of kings comes forth to do battle with the beast and the false prophet. The beast and the false prophet are seized and defeated in Revelation 19:20-21.

The context of Revelation 19 should be interpreted figuratively. The book of Revelation was written to assure Christians in the first century of victory over evil and to keep them from giving into emperor worship during the existence of the Roman Empire. Christians who refused to worship the emperor as Lord were being persecuted, some to death. When the Roman Empire fell and false emperor worship ended, the battle of Armageddon was over. The beast and the false prophet were defeated (Revelation 19:20-21). Therefore, Armageddon is a symbol for the battleground where the army of God clashes with Satan and overcomes.


Armageddon means "hill of Megiddo," a real place that existed in the Valley of Jezreel where a number of famous battles were fought. At Megiddo, Barack and Deborah defeated the kings of Canaan in Judges 5:19. In Judges 6:33, Gideon defeated the Midianites. Saul was defeated by the Philistines at the hill of Megiddo in 1 Samuel 31:8.

The term "Armageddon" is only mentioned once in Revelation 16:16, and should be interpreted figuratively. If "Armageddon" is to be interpreted as a literal place, then we would have to be consistent and interpret everything else in the book of Revelation literally. For example, the generals in verse 13 who fight for the devil would all look like frogs. There would need to be a space that would hold 200 million horsemen, Revelation 9:16. There would also be a great river of blood 200 miles long, Revelations 14:20.

The 1000 year reign of Christ, as taught in Premillennialism, is based on a misinterpretation of Revelation 20. Revelation 20 was written after the cross and during the Roman persecution of the church. Like the battle of Armageddon, the context should be interpreted figuratively.

The book of Revelation is unlike any other book in the New Testament because it is written in signs and symbols. The number 10 was used as a symbol for fullness and completeness. The number 1000 is a multiple of 10, meaning a reign with Christ that is unbroken and complete.

Revelation 20:4 states "they" sat on thrones and reigned with Christ a thousand years. The "they," not us, in verse 4 are the souls of martyrs who had been slain for refusing to worship the beast. Again, Revelation was written during a time when it seemed like the cause of Christ would be crushed by Roman persecution. Earlier in Revelation 6:9-11, these Christians were under an altar crying for vengeance. In Revelation 20:4, the martyrs are on now on thrones. Despite the fact these martyrs were murdered for the cause of Christ, Christianity flourished. Christianity did not falter under persecution. Instead, the cause of persecution, emperor worship and the Roman Empire was defeated. The "first resurrection" mentioned in Revelations 20:6 is therefore the cause of Christ emerging out of certain defeat.

The 1000 Year reign of Christ is now being fulfilled. According to Matthew 12:28-29 and Hebrews 2:14-15, Christ bound Satan and limited his power over sin and death when Jesus was crucified and arose from the grave. Through Christ, we can resist and be delivered from the power of Satan (1 Peter 5:8-9; James 4:7). Christ reigns from resurrection to the second coming (1 Corinthians 15:22-28). Therefore, the 1000 year reign of Christ in Revelation 20 is not an "earthly" reign of the Lord, but a spiritual reign with victorious saints (Revelation 20:4).


In the next and final article, we will address the Premillennial teachings concerning the Nation of Israel.

Premillennialism: Is There Going To Be A "Rapture"? by Scott Mixon

The word rapture comes from the Latin, rapare, which means to "take away" or "snatch out." The Rapture is a vital link in the Premillennial theory. The Rapture doctrine teaches that Christ will come again to silently and secretly remove from the earth all of the saints, both resurrected and living. This is followed by a tribulation on earth that will last for seven years during which time the Lord will pour out His wrath upon all those who have rejected Him. At the end of the tribulation, the Lord will return to the earth again with ten thousand saints and a great battle will be fought. The Lord will then usher in His Kingdom on earth, which shall last for 1,000 years. Afterwards, God will execute final judgment on all who remain, followed by heaven and hell. Specific beliefs vary between religious groups but that is the basic theory.

When compared to the word of God, we find undeniable discrepancies with the theory of Rapture as taught in the doctrine of Premillennialism. If I entitled this article, "What The Bible Says About The Rapture", it would be blank. The word Rapture isn’t found anywhere in the Bible.

Premillennialism uses 1 Thessalonians 4: 16-17 to support the Rapture theory. "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first; Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord." However, 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 and many other scriptures contradict the theory.

When Christ comes, it will not be a secret and it will not be silent. 1 Thessalonians 4:16 states, "For the Lord Himself shall descend from Heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God." In addition, 1 Corinthians 15:52 states, "for the trumpet shall sound and the dead will be raised."

According to the Bible, there will not be a tribulation on earth. 2 Peter 3:7-10 tells us that, at the end of time, the earth will be destroyed and God’s judgment will occur in the "last days", John 12:48. 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 states that "at His coming, then cometh the end…" 1 Thessalonians 4:17 states that when Christ comes, "So shall we ever be with the Lord."

The theory of a "tribulation" is based upon an erroneous interpretation of Matthew 24. In Matthew 24, Jesus described a perilous time for His disciples, "not one stone will be left upon another, which will not be torn down". In verse three, the disciples asked Jesus when this would occur. Jesus describes the tribulation in more detail with, "wars and rumors of wars", "famines and earthquakes". In verse 34 Jesus says, "this generation will not pass away until all these things take place" and all that is described in Matthew 24 came to pass with the fall of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.

Premillennialism teaches that a second resurrection will take place at the end of the "tribulation". All who remain from the time of Adam will be raised at the second resurrection to receive their just desserts. However, John 5:28-29 describes both wicked and righteous being raised at the same time. 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9 states blessing and punishment both occur at his coming.

Finally, the idea of a "1000 year" reign of Christ on earth is a misinterpretation of Revelation 20:1-7. The context of Revelation 20:1-7 is a highly figurative context within a very symbolic book. The "1000 year" reign viewed in Revelation 20 is not an "earthly" reign of the Lord. It is a spiritual reign with victorious saints (Revelation 20:4). This was a prophetic indication that Christianity would be triumphant over its enemies. The 1,000 years is a symbol of the completeness of that victory. The number 1,000 is used more than 20 times in the book of Revelation, but not in a literal sense.

In the next article, we will address in more detail the "1000 year" reign and other contradictions of Premillennialism with plain and simple Bible passages.

What is Premillennialism? by Scott Mixon

The basic theory of Premillennialism teaches that we are now living in a period before the 1000-year reign of Christ. Christ originally came to establish his kingdom but the world was too wicked and crucified Him. The church was established as an after thought until He returns. A rapture of the saints will occur at His coming, followed by seven years of tribulation on earth caused by the Anti-Christ. The battle of Armageddon will be the time Christ puts down all evil. He will then establish His Kingdom on earth and reign for 1000 years. Finally, there will be judgment, followed by Heaven and Hell. Specific beliefs will vary between different religious groups and denominations, but that is the basic theory.

When compared to the word of God, we find undeniable discrepancies in the theory of Premillennialism. For example, Premillennialism teaches that the Kingdom has not yet been established because the world was not ready for it when Christ came. The Church was established as a substitute or an after thought until the Kingdom can be established. However, Jesus speaks of the Church and the Kingdom as being one and the same in Matthew 16:16-18.

In Ephesians 3:10-11 Paul declares the Church was in God’s eternal plan. According to Daniel 2:31-45, the Kingdom was established during the Roman Empire. Isaiah 2:2-4 also predicted that the "mountain of the Lords house" (God’s rule) would be established in the "last days." Peter would later state that they were living in the "last days" in Acts 2:16-17. Jesus said the Kingdom would come with power in the lifetime of some then living in Mark 9:1 and it did. When the Holy Ghost came on Pentecost, power came, and with it the Kingdom, the Church, was established in Acts 2:4.

According to Premillennialism, Christ is not yet King. However, Zechariah prophesied Christ would sit and rule as King and Priest in Zechariah 6:12-13. Acts 2:29-36, Ephesians 1:20-23 and Hebrews 1:8 all declare He is now ruling. John 18:36-38 says He reigns in a Kingdom that is not of this world, but spiritual.

If the Kingdom is not already established, then Paul the Apostle did not know it, for brethren at Colosse were described as being in the Kingdom in Colossians 1:13. The Apostle John taught he was in the Kingdom in Revelation 1:9. John also described those purchased by the blood of Christ as being a part of the Kingdom and Priesthood in Revelation 1:5-6; 5:9-10.

Many people would like to have the ability to predict the future. Many religious leaders have taken advantage of man’s desire to know the future by promoting and teaching "Premillennialism." Premillennialism has become popular because it claims the Bible has foretold both current world events as well as those soon to occur. Whenever a catastrophic or highly visible world event occurs, such as the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001, people who believe the theory of Premillennialism begin to anticipate the "beginning of the end."

Premillennialism ignores what God’s word says about date setting. The Bible is very specific about the time of the Lord’s coming, "For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord comes like a thief in the night. For when they say, ‘peace and safety!’ then sudden destruction comes upon them, as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape" I Thessalonians 5:2-3 and II Peter 3:10.

This is an overview of a few areas where Premillennialism contradicts the Bible. In a series of future articles, we will explore in more detail the many contradictions of Premillennialism with plain and simple Bible passages.

THE SERVICE OF A CHRISTIAN by Randy Baker

How is a Christian to live such that he can be confident of God’s pleasure toward him? Are there patterns in Scripture to provide us clear guidelines about our lifestyle, or are we left to do as we please?

Is it good enough just to live in good conscience before our God? Paul indirectly answers this question through a comment he made in Acts 23:1, "And Paul, looking stedfastly on the council, said, Brethren, I have lived before God in all good conscience until this day." Paul had always believed what he was doing was correct, however, in his defense to the people in the previous chapter he states that he had been doing much damage to the Lord’s cause. "… I persecuted this Way unto the death, binding and delivering into prisons both men and women" (Acts 22:4). Paul was living contrary to God’s will while feeling that he was right before God. Jeremiah admits, "O Jehovah, I know that the way of man is not in himself: it is not in man that walketh to direct his steps" (Jer. 10:23). We are not able to determine how to live correctly based on our own conscience, or our own feelings. God knows what we need and provides that guidance through His word. Only doing what we feel is right easily leads to error.

Is our outlook toward serving God one of, "I’ll serve God when it’s convenient or when I have spare time?" Those words may not be openly spoken often, but the attitude that God gets our leftover energy seems prevalent. We fool ourselves if we think that we can leisurely and half-heartedly serve our God and still please Him. God says, "A son honoreth his father, and a servant his master: if then I am a father, where is mine honor? and if I am a master, where is my fear? saith Jehovah of hosts unto you, O priests, that despise my name. And ye say, Wherein have we despised thy name? … when ye offer the blind for sacrifice, it is no evil! and when ye offer the lame and sick, it is no evil! Present it now unto thy governor; will he be pleased with thee? or will he accept thy person? saith Jehovah of hosts" (Malachi 1:6-8). Quite the contrary of the shallow service exhibited here, Paul gives us the proper outlook, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service" (Romans 12:1). Paul also says "present yourselves unto God, as alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God" (Romans 6:13). In Hebrews 6:11, the writer says, "And we desire that each one of you may show the same diligence unto the fulness of hope even to the end: 12that ye be not sluggish.…" Ours is not to be a casual approach, but rather a fulltime ambition that involves effort and energy. It will lead to a job "well done" if we stay the course until death.

Sometimes we hear comments like "there is no direct command that says I have to do that." Are we trying to feel better about doing less? If so, is that the kind of servant God will welcome into heaven on judgment day? Is the Christian’s duty simply to avoid the sins that everyone recognizes? James 4:17 says, "To him therefore that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." He also says "be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deluding your own selves" (1:22). Our faith is to be a working faith, not that we "earn" our salvation, but rather that there are conditions to be met to receive the gift of everlasting life. "What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? …Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead…But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?…You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only…For as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without works is dead also" (James 2:14-26). There is more to living godly than just avoiding the "big" sins and living morally acceptable before men.

Too often we serve God on our terms and do what seems right when it is easy to do. Let us be sure we are presenting ourselves a living sacrifice before our Lord. Let us be sure we know Him by humbling ourselves to listen to His word. Let us serve Him as He has shown and not as we would prefer. We are His servants, His creation - let us honor Him!