Revelation 20 – The Millennium is not the Main Issue

Here at Southern, my particular view of the millennium is in the minority. I joke about amillennialism a lot because that is how I deal with the fact that I hold the minority view here. Unfortunately, in so doing, I perpetuate a false idea. That false idea is this: that the millennium is the main idea behind John’s teaching in Revelation 20.

Revelation 20 is not John’s doctoral thesis of the millennium to his first century audience. Certainly, he is teaching us something about it in those verses, but he is not discussing it as some sort of abstract teaching. He has a purpose for talking about the millennium, and it is that purpose that is his main idea, and the thing that we should be focusing on. Once we grasp John’s purpose, then we should move on to the finer points of what he is teaching. So what is John’s purpose?

Well, I think it’s the same purpose that permeates throughout the entire book. John was writing to a group of people in the first century that were going through intense persecution. He writes to them to give them hope, understanding, and calls for endurance, while reminding them that no matter what it seems like now, Jesus wins. Several times in the messages to the seven churches, Jesus recognizes their endurance. Twice, John gives a call for the saints to endure (13.10, 14.12). He even opens the letter by stating that he is a fellow partaker in their persecution and endurance. (1.9).

John isn’t just writing to those who are being persecuted as if he was distant from the conflict himself. He is writing this letter while on the island of Patmos, having been banished there as part of the current persecution. He has witnessed (although not probably not personally) Peter, Paul, and other apostles die for their faith, as well as countless other Christians also. He has experienced first hand attempted execution, if we are to believe the stories. John is writing about hope, under inspiration of the Holy Spirit, as one who is suffering through the same persecution as his audience.

I think these themes are the reasons behind Revelation 20.

“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.”
-Revelation 20.4

Today, we sit around and debate whether those who are beheaded are all the martyrs throughout time, or “tribulation saints” as if its that distinction that John wanted us to spend our time arguing over. What would his original audience make of this? To them it wasn’t some abstract idea of future Christians under the reign of a future antichrist, nor was it a consideration of all the martyrs that were before them– although either of the two might be whom John wrote about. To his original audience, the timing wasn’t important, it was the teaching that laid behind it that was the main issue. To them, it was them in a sense, it was their brothers and fathers and mothers, it was the fact that people they ate communion with one day was martyred the next. The important issue for them was that no matter how bad it was, that there is hope, because those who die in Christ will reign with Him. Whether it was a future reign, or a present reign, isn’t the main point. The main point is that they will reign. To borrow a phrase from Paul, they are more than conquerers.

“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.”
-Revelation 20.6

What dominates our discussions on this verse today? If I had to guess, I would say the terms “first resurrection” and “for a thousand years” and what they mean. It is good to discuss these things and try and understand God’s Word better, but we can’t do that unless we grasp the main point. If I had to guess what John’s audience focused on, I would guess that it was “the second death has no power” and “they will reign with him.” Of course, I wasn’t present with them, so I can only guess. Regardless, what if we stopped focusing on debating the “first resurrection” and starting coming together praising God that the “second death has no power” over us!

Here’s what I think John’s main point in this chapter is to a group of people facing persecution and martyrdom: “My brothers and sisters, I know it looks bleak. I know you’ve seen your families and friends murdered. I know it seems like Satan is in control. Let me tell you this, have hope. Stay strong. If you are in Christ, you will reign with Him, no matter what they do to your body. If you are in Christ, do not fear the judgment, because the second death has no power over you. Do not be lead astray, Christ, the Sovereign Lord, wins.”

That is what I believe Revelation 20 said to John’s original audience. So what is is saying to us today? Exactly the same thing. If you are called to missions, do not worry about what will happen to you. Christ is in control and He wins. If you are called to pastor a church here, do not worry what will happen to you. Christ is in control and He wins. If you have a secular vocation, do not worry about what will happen to you. Christ is in control and He wins. If you are a stay at home parent, do not worry about what will happen to you. Christ is in control and He wins.

But, you might say, how is He vindicated? How is justice ultimately met? It seems like injustice reigns here and now. John does not leave us without answers on how Christ wins:

“Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. and if anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
-Revelation 20.11-21.4

[image: Michaelangelo's "Last Judgment," click for full image, hosted on wikipedia.]