Historic Premillennialism (hereafter HP) is a theological persuasion that posits that Jesus Christ will return before the 1,000 year reign of Jesus often known as the "millennium". It stands in contrast to Amillennialism (hereafter AM) - which believes that the millennium is a present reality where Jesus rules spiritually from heaven - and postmillennialism (hereafter PM) - in which Jesus returns after the millennium, a golden age during the present time of world Christianization and peace. HP also stands in stark contrast to what is often called "Dispensational Premillennialism" (hereafter DP) which advocates a Jewish-centric millennium in which the Temple and its animal sacrifices are reinstituted and the physical nation of Israel is preeminent. Often, but not always, DP believes in a pretribulation rapture of the Church. Elsewhere, I have written about why I reject the pretribulation rapture position.
HP and DP do share in common the belief that Jesus will return before the Millennium and rule physically and bodily on the earth. Satan will be bound and restricted to the Abyss and a golden age of righteousness and peace will ensue. Satan will then be released from the Abyss and deceive the nations before God Himself intervenes to put down the last Satanic rebellion. After this will come the Final Judgment and the New Heavens and the New Earth for the redeemed. The lost will be forever consigned to the Lake of Fire. All of this can be read about in Revelation 20-22.
Beyond this broad outline, HP and DP have very little else in common. In actuality, HP shares MUCH more in common with both AM and PM than with DP. DP posits a very sharp distinction between Israel and the Church, while HP and the others do not see such a sharp distinction. Indeed, as an adherent to HP, I hold to the belief that the Church is the true Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). In Christ, all the walls between Jews and gentiles have been broken down and the Church is the resulting union between Israel and the gentile nations in Christ (Ephesians 2:11-3:6). This is in agreement with both AM and PM. Also, like AM and PM, I believe that Jesus does reign spiritually over the Church today from David's throne (obviously). DP pushes the restoration of the Davidic dynasty to the Millennium.
I should also note briefly that this is a simplistic overview. There exist variations of Premillennialism (particularly within the Charismatic Movement and Messianic Judaism) that call themselves HP, but look much more like DP, even if they do not accept all the tenets of classical Dispensationalism. In other words, it is as if there is a hybrid between HP and DP within sections of the Charismatic Movement and within Messianic Judaism. But for our purposes, I will lump those viewpoints together with DP.
So with that brief overview completed, I wanted to tackle two issues concerning HP. Firstly, what is the purpose of the Millennial reign; and secondly, whom does Satan deceive at the end of the Millennium? I believe that Scripture does guide us in answering these questions, which I argue support an HP reading. It is not my purpose today to give a full defense of HP. That would be beyond my scope. What I have to say assumes that HP is the biblical position.
So on to the first question. What is the purpose of the Millennium? Firstly, let us look at the text of Revelation 20:1-6:
Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
As we see here, at the commencement of the Millennium, Satan is bound to the Abyss (which cannot be true today since the Abyss is a spatial dimension separate from earth; Satan cannot be in the Abyss and on earth at the same time), and is prohibited from deceiving the nations during the 1,000 years. Thrones are set up (possibly the same thrones mentioned in Psalm 122:5) and judgment is given to the saints. But the part I want to highlight is in the last part of verse 4: Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
It strikes me that the reason for the Millennium is the martyrs! That is, those who give their lives in their testimony for Jesus are the ones most honored during the 1,000 years. Now it seems obvious that all believers will share in the first resurrection and will reign with Jesus, but it seems that those who shed their blood for Him will be the recipients of a special honor. They will rule for 1,000 years over the very nations that murdered them. Note well, that this does not leave much room for a Jewish-centric Kingdom complete with animal sacrifices and a literal Levitical priesthood offering literal "sin" offerings in a physical temple. Nor does it leave room for the kind of societal "reconstruction" that those espousing Theonomy hold to. No, the primary purpose for the 1,000 years seems to be the vindication of the martyrs throughout the present age who die for their witness to Jesus.
That brings me to the second question. Whom does Satan deceive at the end of the 1,000 years when he is released from the Abyss? I confess that this has been a vexing question for me. It is also one that those holding to the other millennial positions have often thrown at HP adherents in an attempt to discredit their position.
It is a pretty simple premise. Scripture teaches that Jesus resurrects the faithful and destroys unbelievers at his Second Coming:
For this we say to you by the word of the Lord, that we who are alive and remain until the coming of the Lord will by no means precede those who are asleep. For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord.
(1 Thessalonians 4:15-17 NKJV)
...Since it is a righteous thing with God to repay with tribulation those who trouble you, and to give you who are troubled rest with us when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with His mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed.
(2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 NKJV)
And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet who worked signs in his presence, by which he deceived those who received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped his image. These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse. And all the birds were filled with their flesh.
(Revelation 19:19-21 NKJV)
This presents a real problem for me. The Scripture seems to suggest that all unbelievers will be instantly killed by the Lord Jesus on the day that He returns. Likewise, believers are resurrected and glorified. But it is equally clear from Revelation 20:7-10 that there are those whom the Devil deceives when he is let out of the Abyss. Obviously the Devil is not going to be able to deceive resurrected and glorified believers, but what unbelievers in unglorified bodies are left whom Jesus didn't kill at the Second Coming?
I admit, this issue almost caused me to defect to the Amillennial view. I was pretty close. But I believe that an answer does exist. I am sure it won't satisfy everyone, but it does satisfy me. Basically, I believe that there are those unbelievers who do survive the Second Coming and enter into the Millennial reign as non-believers. Presumably, they procreate (though I cannot be sure). Is this just speculation, or can I support this view from Scripture? I believe I can support it, and to do so, I follow two lines of evidence. First is Revelation 19:15:
Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God.
The thing to note about verse 15 is that it is Jesus who "strikes the nations". This is consistent with 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10 which I reference above. Jesus destroys unbelievers at His Second Coming. But it is also noteworthy the very next sentence, that Jesus "will rule them with a rod of iron". This language, taken from Psalm 2, looks ahead, past the second coming and tells us that Jesus will reign as King over the very nations that He Himself has just struck down by the word of His mouth. So stands to reason, that at least some will survive and enter the Millennium.
The second line of evidence is found in the book of Daniel. It is no secret that much of Revelation's imagery is taken from Daniel, so the link is a natural one. In Daniel 7, the prophet is given a series of visions of the future. Daniel is taken to the very throne room of God, the Ancient of Days. It is here that Daniel sees the following:
I watched then because of the sound of the pompous words which the horn was speaking; I watched till the beast was slain, and its body destroyed and given to the burning flame. As for the rest of the beasts, they had their dominion taken away, yet their lives were prolonged for a season and a time.
It should be readily apparent that this is a parallel passage to Revelation 19. In both passages, the beast is destroyed and cast into fire. Now if that was all we had, then my case for HP would be significantly weaker. But take careful note of the underlined sentence. Other beasts who are obviously in collusion with "the" beast continue on and live for a period of time afterward. Daniel does not specify, but John in Revelation tells us that it is for 1,000 years (I tend to take Revelation 20's 1,000 years as symbolic of an extended time period; not necessarily a literal 1,000 years). Only at the end of the Millennium, when the last Satanic rebellion is crushed and at the Final Judgment, will each and every unbeliever receive the full justice that they deserve in the Lake of Fire. Then will the saints inherit New Heavens and a New Earth forever.
Hopefully by now, it is evident that HP has answers to the toughest of questions posed by those of whatever alternative eschatological persuasion. I don't pretend that my case is airtight. I am still reading and studying, and doing the best I can. I am sure others can say the same. I certainly understand that this concerns a non-primary area of theology. Nevertheless, eschatology does matter. While debate may rage on, we can all rest assured that the Father knows what is best and that, at the proper time, Jesus will return and bring with Him a Kingdom which cannot be shaken, which the saints shall receive (Hebrews 12:28). Amen.
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