A brother asked various questions about amillenialism which I think are worthwhile to share here because I find the answers edifying: How can the millennial kingdom of Revelation 20 be the kingdom that is promised forever and where this kingdom is now? How can we reign with Christ, when we are not yet perfectly holy, and the world is full of suffering and bloodshed? And why should Revelation 20 be interpreted figuratively, but Christ's coming must be a literal bodily event?
Some pertinent Scriptures to these questions are as follows:
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus (Eph. 2:4-6).
If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God (Col. 3:1-3).
When Christ came preaching that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, and then suffered and died, and was raised up, even to be seated upon the throne in heaven, and given the name above all (i.e. Lord), this is the kingdom to which He referred (Luke 1:32-33). And this is the kingdom which His parables explain. And this is the kingdom which shall have no end, and which kingdom was prophesied in the Old Testament. This is the kingdom in which all Christians are citizens already, and even, by our union with Christ, already seated with Christ in this heavenly kingdom, as sharing in His anointing by the Spirit, so that we are all prophets, priests and kings. Now, a little, and weakly, hampered by sin, and only seen by faith, but after we have also suffered a little while, our reign will be more full, free, and glorious. Even now, having been born again into a new life, we fight as kings against our sinful flesh, bringing our bodies into subjection ("But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway," I Cor. 9:27), and triumph, making progress and taking ground, by the power of Christ.
When John saw the vision of the binding of Satan, ushering in the millennial kingdom, undoubtedly the same kingdom which Daniel saw, smashing the kingdoms of this world) which begins in the age for a "thousand" years and extends into eternity after the final judgement in the new heavens and new earth, he says, "Then I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed." (Rev. 20:4; cf. I Cor. 6:2-3). He describes these as the glorified saints, who were persecuted and martyred for their witness, which is given to all Christians to greater or lesser measure ("For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake," Phil. 1:29):
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. (Rev. 20:4)
This is a kingdom which the world cannot understand and cannot touch (Luke 17:21). Its power is from heaven and nothing can stand against it. The victory of this kingdom, and for all its citizens is assured. And though we walk now in the midst of earthly kingdoms and groan inwardly amidst our own sins and failures, we even now enjoy and partake in the spiritual blessings of this kingdom, which has not even yet reached its final consummation, as it will at the end of the age. And we are assured of its victory, even if the whole world appears to go after the antichristian beastly kingdom, because Christ (and we in Him) is already seated upon the throne in heaven, bringing all of history to the end which He has appointed, gathering His church, and hardening others so that this present evil age becomes fully ripe for the judgement at His coming.
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword? As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter. Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us (Rom. 8:35-37).
Lastly, Revelation 20 is a vision, and therefore intended to be interpreted as figurative language. Revelation 1 explains this, as in fact, all other visions in Scripture. But the literal bodily coming of Christ, in the same way as He ascended, is taught in historical narrative and direct didactic teaching, which is absolutely not intended to be interpreted as a pictorial vision or allegory.
Which [angels] also said, Ye men of Galilee, why stand ye gazing up into heaven? this same Jesus, which is taken up from you into heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen him go into heaven. (Acts 1:11)
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