The Millennial Reign of Christ

Note: At the request of Jonathan McCarthy, I have written this post on the traditional, millennial doctrine of the Church (as evidenced by Papias and others of chiliastic persuasion throughout Church History).  This post is not intended as an argument for the doctrine (I have much more exploration to do in the other interpretations before doing so) but a summation of the belief (which is one that I claim).

The doctrine has its roots in Revelation 20:1-7, which provides an excellent description:

Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 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. 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 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. The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended. This is the first resurrection. 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. And when the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison. (Revelation 20:1-7 ESV)

The first event of the Millennium is the binding of Satan in the abyss.  From the dawn of Creation and until this very day, Satan has been free to roam about the earth (Job 1:7, 1 Peter 5:8).  Such is his lot until the end of the Great Tribulation, those infamous seven years of judgment upon the earth in the Last Days.  After this, with the return of Christ, he is imprisoned in the abyss - but only temporarily.

The second characteristic of the Millennium is the authority of judgment given over to certain believers.  My own personal conviction is that this refers to the Sanhedrin - for the words used here is of the same purpose as the Great Council.  They are joined, not in equality, by those who had received the martyr’s crown.  Christ is not one who will reign with His own Being, but shall reward His faithful servants - those who have been faithful, “even unto death.” (Rev. 3).  These are set apart in the resurrection - being blessed to witness the earthly reign of Christ.

Many Biblical scholars would argue that the Millennial reign of Christ is further detailed in Ezekiel, in the prophecies concerning the Prince of Israel (”my servant David” - Ezekiel 34, 37, 44-46, 48), which concern the territorial allotments of Israel and the re-institution of the Temple worship.  Thus is the prophecy, spoken by the prophets, fulfilled: “My House shall be called a house of prayer for the Nations.”

There are three over-riding themes of this doctrine that pervade it:

1. It is temporary.  The Millennial Reign of Christ is the fulfillment of God’s promises to Israel and the completion of every Messianic aspect.  God, in this thousand-year period, shows the power of His peace and rule on the earth.  Yet, it ends.
2. It is peaceful.  The Prince of Peace displays the power of His kingship.  With Satan locked away and the deceptions of the enemy and the demonic forces, at the least, inactive, mankind is given the opportunity to truly blossom and know God’s power.
3. It is literal and physical.  Christ promised a physical appearing and return and in His reign, will be present in His glorified humanity and divinity - the Son of David and the Son of God.  Those who have lost all for the sake of their Lord are rewarded with the physical fellowship of His grace.  Such an honor that has only been granted to a select few in the history of the world!