Resurrection and Amillennialism

The end is now!… and not yet.Realistic Hope for Everyday Christian Life

Lesson 6 – Revelation 20:1-6

Resurrection and

Amillennialism

The overwhelming witness of Scripture seems to be that the second coming of Christ, the resurrection of believers, the resurrection of the unjust, judgment for all, the end, the new heaven and new earth, and the inauguration of the final kingdom of God, the blessed eternal state of the redeemed are all concurrent events.

If all of these happen together as “one grand dramatic finale of redemptive history,” then this leaves no space for a millennial kingdom.

Millennium?

Amillennial TimelineSecond Coming,

the Resurrection, and the Final

JudgmentNew

Heavens and the

New Earth

This Present Evil Age

What do we do with Rev. 20 then?We have two basic options:

1. We can perform exegetical andhermeneutical contortions.

• That is we can try to make the overwhelming majority of passages which we have seen apparently coordinate the second coming, the resurrection, the judgment, and the coming of the new Creation as one grand dramatic finale of redemptive history bend to fit a “literal” interpretation of the one single passage in the entire Bible which talks about a millennium (in a book of symbolic apocalyptic imagery) in order to separate the second coming from the Day of Judgment.

What about Rev. 20?

Or…2. We can interpret Revelation chapter 20 the way we interpret the rest of the book of Revelation, symbolically.

• That is we interpret it as symbolic apocalyptic imagery of a Gospel reality and not a “literal” temporary earthly millennial kingdom.

What about Rev. 20?

The first question we need to ask is: “What literary genre does the chapter fit

under?”The answer to this question will determine

whether we interpret the chapter in a way that is “amillennial” or “premillennial.”

What is a genre?It is a type of book, film, music, etc. which is

distinguished by subject, theme, or style.Different genres have different styles and

different rules for communication and interpretation.

How should we interpret Rev. 20:1-6?

In Actions movies we expect to see an action star unrealistically take on the world by himself.

In Romance movies we expect gushy, sappy romance.

In comedies we expect to see characters in a series of ridiculous and funny situations.

Film Genres

Genre affects what we expect of a particular work and how we interpret it.

This is true even in Scripture. For example: Ps. 17:8-9 - 8 Keep me as the apple of your

eye; hide me in the shadow of your wings, 9 from the wicked who do me violence, my deadly enemies who surround me.

We immediately understand that this is poetry and a poetic way of speaking about God and not an attempt at a photographic description of him.


What genre is Rev. 20:1-6?It shows no indication of being different than the rest of

the book of Revelation, which is apocalyptic genre.Vern Poythress identifies four levels of communication

(not meaning) in the book of Revelation:1. The linguistic level: the actual text itself its words,

grammar, and syntax.2. The visionary level: the actual visual experience that

John has in his visions which compose the book.3. The referential level: the historical reference of the

particular things in the vision.4. The symbolical level: what the symbolic imagery

actually connotes about its historical referent.


John has a vision of the first beast rising from the sea.Rev 13:1-2 - And I saw a beast

rising out of the sea, with ten horns and seven heads, with

ten diadems on its horns and blasphemous names on its heads. 2 And the beast that I saw was like a leopard; its feet were like a bear's, and its mouth was like a lion's mouth.And to it the dragon gave his power and his throne and great authority.

Four levels of communication in Rev. 13:1-8

1. The linguistic level: The actual text of Rev. 13:1-82. The visionary level: John sees the vision described in

Rev. 13:1-8.3. The referential level: The beast stands for or

symbolizes something that appears in history. (What it stands for in history is a matter of debate.)

4. The symbolical level: The symbolic clothing of the vision conveys something about the characteristics of the historical referent.

“Antichrist is powerful, persecuting, demonic, blasphemous, hideous, yet under God’s control and heading for defeat. But this information about the beast is conveyed in symbolic, imagistic form rather than through literal photographic depiction… The description of he beast in Rev. 13:1-8 is not intended as a photographic rendering of a literal animal, but a symbolic representation of a human being or a historical institution.” – Vern Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev. 20:1-6,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 36.


“In this respect, Revelation 13 employs symbolism in a way not characteristic of ordinary historical narrative. In Revelation 13 symbolism is primary, whereas in historical narrative literal description is primary… Thus roughly speaking, historical narratives in the Bible contain both a direct relation to the underlying events and an indirect indication of the theological significance of the events. In Revelation 13 the relation is reversed. The symbolism dominates in such a way that the passage expresses directly the theological significance and only indirectly points to the underlying event. The imagery used in describing the beast is precisely that: imagery. Imagery captures the symbolical and the theological significance “directly,” but we must make a transition to another sphere in order to find the referent.” – Vern Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev. 20:1-6,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 36.


Rev 20:1-6 - Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

So how does this effect Rev. 20:1-6?

Rev 20:1-6 - 4 Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.


“Many premillennialists have thus skirted some key issues when appealing to the supposed literalness of the first resurrection. They have neglected the visionary and symbolical levels of the discourse… In such a literalistic interpretive strategy, the visionary level and symbolic level are virtually collapsed into the referential level. Throughout Revelation, the visions are then understood to be direct transcriptions of future history.” – Vern Poythress, “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev. 20:1-6,” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, vol. 36.

An error of Premillennialism

We can read the text, and get what John sees in his vision, but the question is:

What do the things in his

vision mean? What is the symbolism and what doesthe symbolism refer to in history?


What we will argue is that John sees a vision which symbolically refers to the inter-advent period (that is the period between the first and second comings of Christ).

And it pictures the intermediate state of

Christians between their death and their bodily resurrection at the Second Coming (that is our dying and going to be in the presence of the Lord).

A look ahead.

The Amillennial Timeline:

When is Rev. 20:1-6?

Second Coming, the

Resurrection, and the Final

Judgment

Life, death, resurrection

and ascension of Christ.

Rev. 20:1-6

Rev 20:1-3 - Then I saw an angelcoming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.

Amillennial Exposition of Rev. 20:1-6

“The key of the abyss” is probably the same key as “the key of death and of Hades,” which Christ holds in ch. 1 because he has already overcome death through his resurrection (1:18). There the “keys” figuratively connote Christ’s sovereignty over the realm of the dead. The same “keys” are referred to in ch. 3 to show that Christ has authority not only to raise the dead at the end of the age but to also impart spiritual life in the present age… The “key of the abyss” in 20:1 is similar to the keys in chs. 1, 3, 6, and 9, especially chs. 6 and 9, which all pertain to realities during the church age.” - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 984.


Rev 1:17-18 - When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, 18 and the living one. I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades.

Rev 6:7-8 - 7 When he opened the fourth seal, I heard the voice of the fourth living creature say, "Come!” 8 And I looked, and behold, a pale horse! And its rider's name was Death, and Hades followed him. And they were given authority over a fourth of the earth, to kill with sword and with famine and with pestilence and by wild beasts of the earth.


“If we have been correct in generally identifying 20:1 with the preceding “key” passages, which concern inter-advent realities, then the binding and the millennium are best understood as Christ’s authority restraining the devil in some manner during the church age. This means that the restraint of Satan is a direct result of Christ’s resurrection. If so, the binding, expulsion, and fall of Satan can be seen in other NT passages that affirm with the same terms (“bind,” “cast,” etc.) that the decisive defeat of the devil occurred at Christ’s death and resurrection.” - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 985.


Luke 10:17-19 - 17 The seventy-two returned with joy, saying, "Lord, even the demons are subject to us in your name!“ 18 And he said to them, "I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven. 19 Behold, I have given you authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you.

John 12:31-33 – 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.“ 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

The binding of Satan in the NT.

Col 2:13-15 - 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

Heb 2:14-15 - 14 Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, 15 and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery.


Mark 3:23-27 - 23 And he called them to him and said to them in parables, "How can Satan cast out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand.25 And if a house is divided against itself, that house will not be able to stand.26 And if Satan has risen up against himself and is divided, he cannot stand, but is coming to an end.27 But no one can enter a strong man's house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.

Parallel in Mat. 12:25-29


“The expulsion of demons is nothing less than a forceful attack on the lordship of Satan. Jesus’ ability to cast out demons means that one stronger than Satan has come to restrain his activity and to release the enslaved. The heart of Jesus’ mission is to confront Satan and to crush him on all fields, and in the fulfillment of his task he is conscious of being the agent of irresistible power.” – William Lane, The Gospel of Mark, pg. 143.


But what about passages in Scripture that talk about Satan as still active?

2 Cor. 4:3-4 - 3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled only to those who are perishing. 4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.

Eph 2:1-2 - And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience.

1 Pet. 5:8 - 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.

Is Satan really bound?

If Satan is not totally restricted in his defeat, how is he bound?

Rev. 20 connects his binding with the deception of the nations.

20:3- “…so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended.”

“That Satan is “cast out” by Christ’s death does not restrict Satan in every way. Rather, it keeps him from preventing “all people” throughout the earth being drawn to Jesus.” - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 985.

Is Satan really bound?

The purpose of Satan’s binding in Rev. 20:3 matches the connection made in John 12:31-32.

John 12:31-32 – 31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out. 32 And I, when I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all people to myself.” 33 He said this to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

Christ’s victory over Satan secures the ultimate salvation of his people, and delivers them out of the dominion of “the Strong Man” so that they may no longer be deceived.

Satan Bound and Evangelism

Eph. 2:1-6 - And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience-- 3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body1 and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,

Satan Bound and Evangelism

God seals his own in Revelation (7:3; 9:4). This seal is a mark of God’s ownership and protection of his own, and it means that the Church is ultimately the victor.

But God’s seal does not mean Christians will never experience the fury and wrath of the Dragon.

Rev 12:17 - Then the dragon became furious with the woman and went off to make war on the rest of her offspring, on those who keep the commandments of God and hold to the testimony of Jesus. And he stood

on the sand of the sea. Likewise Satan being “sealed” in the abyss, does not

mean that God prevents him from harming the Church in any way. Rather it means he cannot overcome her.

Satan Bound, Suffering, and Victory

Rev 12:10-11 - And I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, "Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and theauthority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down,who accuses them day and nightbefore our God.11 And they have conquered him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, for they loved not their lives even unto death.


Now the salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God and the authority of his Christ have come, for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down.

But, this is the paradoxical picture of the persecuted, yet victorious martyr-Church. The Church conquers the Dragon by Christ’s blood, by faithful testimony to Christ, and by our commitment to loose everything, even our lives, for the sake of Christ.

The fits what we have seen in Paul. Our lives are now hidden with Christ (Col. 3:3) and our lives now are patterned after Christ’s life, suffering unto glory (2 Cor. 4:7-18).

We live in the tension of the already and the not yet of Satan’s defeat.

But our victory over the dragon has been signed and sealed in the death and resurrection of Christ.


“During the age preceding Christ’s final coming not all of Satan’s deceiving activities are curtailed by the binding of vv. 2-3 but only his deception of the nations, which will result in the nations coming together to attempt to destroy the entire community of faith on earth. Hence, during the age when Christ “builds his church… the gate of hell will not prevail over” the church’s growth because “the keys of the kingdom” have been given to the church to overcome Satan’s deception against it (Matt. 16:18-19). But at the end of the age, persecution by deceived multitudes will break out against the church, such that it would vanish were it not for God’s intervention on its behalf (so also Mark 13:19-22; Matt. 24:21-24).” - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 987.


“Satan fails in this final attempt to exterminate the church and meets his own final defeat and punishment.” - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 987.

Satan’s clock is ticking!Satan is released only for “a little while”

v. 3. His final, intense onslaught is butfor a moment compared to the eternalstate of victory Christ and his Church willenjoy in the resurrection and the new heavens and earth.

Satan’s final defeat.

Rev 20:4-6 - Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.

The First Resurrection

What then is “the first resurrection?”“The classical Augustinian perspective

is that the resurrection life of believers in 20:4-6 is spiritual regeneration and, therefore, that believers both on earth and in heaven are included (City of God 20.7-10). - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 1011.

This sort of Amillennial interpretation doesn’t quite do justice to the context and connections of Rev. 20 and “the first resurrection.”

Augustinian Amillennial Interpretation

The first thing we should notice is the connection between “the first resurrection” and “the second death.”

Rev. 20:6 - Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power,

What is the second death?Rev 20:14-15 - Then Death and Hades were thrown into

the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

The second death is the punishment of the lake of fire, which unbelievers face, after they have been raised bodily to stand before God’s judgment throne (Rev. 20:13; see also John 5:28-29). It is not a physical death!

First Resurrection

“The arbitrariness of the customary premillennial insistence “the first resurrection” must be a bodily rising from the grave if the second resurrection is such is exposed by the inconsistent recognition by premillennial exegesis that, although the first death is the loss of physical life, “the second death” is death of a different kind, death in a metaphorical rather than literal, physical sense.” Meredith Kline, “The First Resurrection,” Westminster Theological Journal vol. 37.

The second death is not a literal physical death, thus we are not bound to say that the first resurrection is a literal physical resurrection.

So what is it then?

First Resurrection

What is the 1,000 years?“That this is not a literal chronological number is

apparent from: (1) the consistently figurative use of numbers elsewhere in the book, (2) the figurative nature of much of the immediate context (“chain,” “abyss,” “dragon,” “serpent,” “locked,” “sealed,” “beast”), (3) the predominantly figurative tone of the entire book (so. 1:1), (4) the figurative use of “1,000” in the OT, and (5) the use in Jewish and early Christian writings of “1,000” years as a figure for the eternal blessing of the redeemed. - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 995

First Resurrection

We will argue that “the first resurrection” and the 1,000 years is a picture of the blessed state of the redeemed after their death and before their bodily resurrection.

First Resurrection

Second Coming, the Resurrection, and the

Final JudgmentLife, death,

resurrection and ascension of Christ.

Rev. 20:1-6

Notice that the first resurrection is connected with martyrdom.Rev 20:4 - Also I saw the souls of those who had been

beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.

This is not to say that only those who die for their faith will participate in what is pictured by the 1,000 year reign.

Rather it points us to the fact that Rev. 20:1-6 is connected with the overall theme of the book of Revelation:

The Church must endure and be faithful unto death. She must overcome amidst the intense suffering under the persecution and fury of Satan and his minions. Yet, she should be encouraged because the Lamb and his Bride will triumph, and is now triumphing through her faithful witness to Christ.

First Resurrection

“For the true significance of the event is to be found in the destiny in which it issues and in the case of the unjust the grave delivers them up (20:13) only to deliver them over to the lake of fire (20:15). Hence, the real meaning of the resurrection of the unjust to physical life is conveyed by the paradoxical metaphor of death, “the second death” (20:14). - Meredith Kline, “The First Resurrection.”

First Resurrection and Second Death

“The proper decipherment of “the first resurrection” in the interlocking schema of first-(second) resurrection and (first)-second death is now obvious enough. Just as the resurrection of the unjust is paradoxically identified as “the second death,” so the death of the Christian is paradoxically identified as “the first resurrection.” John sees the Christian dead (20:4). The real meaning of their passage from earthly life is to be found in the state to which it leads them. And John sees the Christian dead living and reigning with Christ (20:4,6); unveiled before the seer is the royal-priestly life on the heavenly side of the Christians’s earthly death.” - Meredith Kline, “The First Resurrection.”

First Resurrection and Second Death

This is confirmed by the rest of Revelation.Rev 14:12-13 - Here is a call for the endurance of

the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus. 13 And I heard a voice from heaven saying, "Write this: Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on." "Blessed indeed," says the Spirit, "that they may rest from their labors, for their deeds follow them!“

“The Sabbath rest of the risen Christ is his kingly session at God’s right hand. To live and reign with Christ is to participate in his royal Sabbath rest.” - Meredith Kline, “The First Resurrection.”

First Resurrection and the Death of Christians.

Rev 2:10-11 - 10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life. 11 He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second death.

“The crown,… though it might be the festive garland might also be the royal crown. If the latter image is intended here, the “crown of life” promised to the Christian dead is precisely the nominal equivalent of the verbal “they lived and reigned” in the account of the experience that attends “the first resurrection” in Revelation 20:4ff.” - Meredith Kline, “The First Resurrection.”


Rev 7:9-17 - 9 After this I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, 10 and crying out with a loud voice, Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!“…13 Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, "Who are these, clothed in white robes, and from where have they come?“ 14 I said to him, "Sir, you know." And he said to me, "These are the ones coming out of the great tribulation. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. 15 "Therefore they are before the throne of God, and serve him day and night in his temple; and he who sits on the throne will shelter them with his presence. 16 They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; the sun shall not strike them nor any scorching heat. 17 For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water, and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."


Rev. 3:21 - The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.

Rev 2:26-27 - The one who conquers and who keeps my works until the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, 27 and he will rule them with a rod of iron, as when earthen pots are broken in pieces, even as I myself have received authority from my Father.

“When saints are translated to heaven at death they join Christ on his judicial throne to rule over the enemy in inaugurated fulfillment of the promise given to “overcomers” in 3:21 and 2:26-27, though these promises will also reach complete fulfillment at the final resurrection of the saints.” - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 996.


“If the suffering the saints endure their brief trials of “ten days” (2:10), they will receive the reward of a millennial reign. The intensifying of ten to a thousand together with the lengthening of days to years might suggest that present momentary affliction results in greater glory even in the intermediate sate prior to eternal glory.” - G.K. Beale, The Book of Revelation, pg. 995.

But even this heavenly reign looks forward to the “second resurrection” of believers and the new heavens and earth. Hence it is only for 1,000 years.


In other words Rev. 20:1-6 communicated to us in apocalyptic imagery what Paul writes:

Rom 8:18 - For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

2 Cor. 5:6-8 So we are always of good courage. We know that while we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord, 7 for we walk by faith, not by sight. 8 Yes, we are of good courage, and we would rather be away from the body and at home with the Lord.


2 Cor. 4:16-18 - So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. 17 For this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison, 18 as we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.

The weight of glory we will taste in our heavenly “1,000” year reign is a foretaste of the weight of glory we will bathe in at the return of Christ and the Resurrection!


Our Eternal State

Reigning with the Lion of the Tribe of Judah in his Eternal

City

Then the goal of history will be fully realized, that is to say eschatology will be fully realized.

Even so, come quickly Lord Jesus, come!

Resurrection and Amillennialism

Documents

Transcript of Resurrection and Amillennialism