On my way to different conferences, as I passed several airports I stopped at magazine racks, newspaper stands and book shops to find something to read. Looking at what was available I was astonished to see how many times the words millennium is used either in the tittles or just to catch people’s attention. Suddenly I realized that the word millennium was everywhere. I saw that “millennium” was the name of a new type of alkaline batteries and a new line of shoes.  A travel agency is promoting a cruise that includes the December 31st party to usher the new millennium as “The party of the millennium.”  I asked myself what is all the fuzz about the millennium.  Actually, there is good reason to think of the millennium.  How many people have had the opportunity to witness the transition from one millennium to the next one? I guess we are lucky to be witnesses of such transition.

Together with the excitement that a new millennium brings—and the anxiety of what can go wrong with the Y2K problem—we are also mindful of the millennium spoken of in the Bible.  Will the new millennium usher a time of peace and prosperity?  Will Jesus return in this new millennium?  Is the millennium of the Christian faith at hand? What is the millennium in the Bible?  This article will focus on what is the millennium in the Bible and different views on this topic.

The Millennium in its biblical context
In simple term, the word millennium means one thousand years. As far as theology is concerned the Millennium is the term used for the reign the Messiah for one thousand years.  Although the word millennium per se is never mentioned in the Scriptures, there are clear references to the thousand year reign of the Messiah. In Revelation 20: 1-9 we read a detailed description of Messiah’s rule and events pertaining to the millennium,
 “And I saw an angel coming down out of heaven, having the key to the Abyss and holding in his hand a great chain.
 He seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil, or Satan, and bound him for a thousand years.
 He threw him into the Abyss, and locked and sealed it over him, to keep him from deceiving the nations anymore until the thousand years were ended. After that, he must be set free for a short time.
 I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ 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 are those who have part in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.
 When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth-- Gog and Magog-- to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore.
 They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them.”
In addition to the passage in Revelation, there are other texts in the Old Testament that speak of the reign of the Messiah and give details of this messianic reign to come.  The prophet Isaiah says,
 “…but with righteousness he will judge the needy, with justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth; with the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.
 Righteousness will be his belt and faithfulness the sash around his waist.
 The wolf will live with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat, the calf and the lion and the yearling together; and a little child will lead them.
 The cow will feed with the bear, their young will lie down together, and the lion will eat straw like the ox.
 The infant will play near the hole of the cobra, and the young child put his hand into the viper's nest.
 They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain, for the earth will be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea.
 In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.  Isa. 11: 4-10

Also in Jeremiah 3:17 we are told that
“At that time they will call Jerusalem The Throne of the LORD, and all nations will gather in Jerusalem to honor the name of the LORD. No longer will they follow the stubbornness of their evil hearts.”
Zechariah adds that
“The LORD will be king over the whole earth. On that day there will be one LORD, and his name the only name.” Zech 14:9

Eschatology, the branch of theology that studies future events, focuses on occurrences that will take place on during the millennium.  As it is clear from a simple reading of the aforementioned texts, there are several questions that immediately come up. For instance, are these passages speaking of a spiritual kingdom or are they making reference to a real and literal reign of the Messiah? Is Israel promoted to a place of preeminence during this millennium reign or it is speaking of the church as fulfilling the ancient role of Israel? What is the scope of the “first” and the “second resurrection”? How these and other questions are answered define different eschatological views, Different lines of thought are labeled according to whether the texts are to be interpreted literally and according to the chronology of events that will take place.  Thus some adhere to a A-millennial view, while others identify themselves as Pre-millennialists, and yet others call themselves Post-millennialists.  There are also eclectic views and schools of thought that take some beliefs from several eschatological perspectives and blend them into one.

For Messianic Judaism, the study of the millennium is not simply an intellectual exercise because one’s view on the millennium defines whether God’s plan for Israel is to be understood literally or allegorically. Messianic Judaism is intrinsically linked to the land of Israel and the people of Israel.  It is therefore pivotal to understand whether there are promises given to Israel that are yet to be fulfilled or Israel is now assimilated into the church.   With the amazing rebirth of the State of Israel as a political entity thee was also the rekindling of interest in God’s prophetic plan for Israel. If Israel had not been reborn, there would have been little concern for Israel in the coming millennium. The fact that Israel was reborn as a nation speaks volumes that God’s promises cannot and should not be allegorized but taken at face value.

Traditional Jewish views on the Millennium and the Messianic kingdom

Judaism has always hoped for the time when there would be peace and harmony on earth, and that there would be a messianic age when God’s promises to Israel will be fulfilled. Most Jewish teachings look towards the millennium as the messianic time when true peace and brotherhood will be realized on earth and Israel will regain its place of privilege among the nations, which is yet into the future. This was the common view during Yeshua’s time, and consequently, this is why Israel as a nation rejected Yeshua at his first coming  .  They rely on the many prophecies and messianic passages in the Bible. Orthodox Jews hold on to the belief that a “messiah-person” will usher the millennial messianic age. For rabbi Jacob I. Schochet, a modern spokesperson for orthodox Judaism, the millennium and the messianic age are characterized by the restoration of the Temple—Bet Hamikdash—, the coming of the messiah, the ingathering of the exiles of Israel, the end of evil and sin, an increased awareness of knowledge of God, the universal worship of God, universal peace and harmony, the resurrection of the dead, and the end to disease and death . Reform and other more liberal expressions of modern Judaism look for a “messianic age” without a personal messiah to reign over the millennial kingdom.

The Millennium in history
The early Messianic Jews and early church leaders (Papias, Justyn, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Lactantius) through the third century AD held on to the literal interpretation of the Scriptures that foretell the return of the Messiah in glory before the final judgement to usher a millennial kingdom. This view became known as pre-millennialism, meaning the return of the Messiah prior to the millennial kingdom.   This view was based not only on the literal fulfillment of biblical prophecies, but in Jewish apocalyptic literature as well which looked with expectation towards the restoration of a state similar to Eden before the fall.  It was this materialistic view of the millennium that made later theologians question the value of a literal millennial kingdom.  This premillennial position was first questioned in the IV century by Ticonios, whose views were then adopted by Augustine. Another reason for abandoning the premillennial view was the raising anti-Jewish sentiment in the church after the second century.  This antagonism ultimately led to the rejection of the millennial kingdom because it was “Jewish.”    A third a final “coup de grace” for the premillennial view was the adoption of Christianity as the official religion of the Roman Empire by Constantin.  Why the need for a kingdom once Rome became Christian?  With the rejection of premillenialism, amillennialism began to take shape.

As the name indicates “amillennialism” denies the literal millennial kingdom of the Messiah on earth.  The greatest expounder of this doctrine was Augustine, who shaped Christian theology from the time of Paul to the Reformation.  In his famous work The City of God Augustine sets forth the idea that the visible church is the kingdom of God.  He taught that the millennium is to be interpreted spiritually as fulfilled in the Christian Church. With the rise of the Roman Catholic church, amillennialism rapidly became the doctrine of the church

Joachim of Fiore (1135-1202) argued for an eschatological view of history, bringing back the literal interpretation of the Bible. His views influenced Protestant theologians in taking another look and the book of Revelation. This new way of looking at biblical events to come led to the formulation of a position that became known as post-millennialism.  According to this view, the millennium will come as result of the preaching of the gospel to all corners of the earth under the power and guidance of the Holy Spirit. Thus, with the conversion of all people from all nations the Millennial kingdom will come into existence, and at the end of which Jesus shall return. The first theologian to hold this view was Thomas Brightman (1562-1607) The 18th century saw the peak of postmillennialism as missionary activity flourished at a rapid pace.  It was postmillennialism that gave rise to the great missionary endeavors on the 17th and 18th centuries.  But by the 19th century, postmillennialism was becoming more identified with a secular view of human progress than with a true religious hope.  It was ultimately absorbed into liberal theology which made of the kingdom of God the end result of moral and social advancements.

In opposition to postmillennialism there appeared a movement that denied that the world would be won over to Christendom and that the only way in which the messianic kingdom would become a reality would be by the direct return on the Messiah.  The first proponent of such view was Joseph Meade who lived in the 18th century and who maintained that the return of the Messiah and the resurrection of the saints will take place before the millennium kingdom.  Such interpretation of prophetic passages required a literal interpretation of the Bible. A corollary of premillennialism and literal interpretation was the reawakening of the role of Israel. If prophecies are to be interpreted in their literal sense, then the many prophecies concerning the glorious future of Israel are yet unfulfilled.  Therefore, God has not replaced Israel with the church neither has He rejected His chosen people.  Evangelical premillennialism led to the formulation of another way to view events to come, Dispensationalism.  This school of thought first formulated by J. N. Darby is continued by the teachings of Charles C. Ryrie, J.  Dwight Pentecost and made popular by the Scofield Reference Bible

Contemporary views on the Millennium
Today the Millennium can be considered from different points of view.  The amillennial perspective continues to be preached by the Roman Catholic church, which understands that the church is the new Israel, and that the rule of Christ is exercised through the pope as Christ’s representative on earth and the Millennial kingdom is now being experienced in the life of each believer.  But to adhere to this view in to accept that God has rejected Israel and that Israel as a nation has no longer any role in God’s future plan.  A new amillennial view has been proposed by Anthony A. Hoekema who argues that part of the Millennium has been fulfilled while past awaits future fulfillment.

Presently, the postmillennial view is best formulated by Loraine Boettner. He states that the millennium is the golden age that will find its fulfillment during the present church time and will be accomplished by using the actual resources available to the church today. It may last for a period of time that may well extend past a thousand years. The change in people’s character will be reflected by the improvement in the quality of social, political, moral and cultural life to be enjoyed by all humankind.  This does not mean that all people will become Christians, neither that sin will be abolished. What it does mean is that evil, in its many forms will be greatly curbed, and that Christians principles will become the norm, not the exception.

The Premillennial theologians await divine intervention to put a end to the present age by the sudden and supernatural appearance of the Messiah.  The first stage of the Millennium will be completed after the removal of all believers to Heaven—commonly known as the Rapture—and the short but horrifying Tribulation period.  At the end of the seven years that the Tribulation will last, Yeshua the Messiah shall return to reign from Jerusalem over all the world.  It is at this time that all unfulfilled promises made to Israel will be realized. Today, most Messianic Jews adhere in one form or another to premillennial views, whether it be by way of Dispensationalism or other traditional premillennial teachings. The reason for this is the role assigned to Israel in the present and the future.  Premillennial teachings are ardent defenders of the fact that Israel is not absorbed into the church, but rather the church and Israel remain distinguishably entities joined by common access to God by Grace through faith in Yeshua.

Awaiting for the coming Millennium
No matter what our personal view on the Millennium might be, there are few conclusions to which one may safely arrive to. In first place, we must acknowledge that the Bibles does speak of the millennial reign of the Messiah. How and when is left open for discussion and it is there that you can have different theories, but the Bible clearly teaches of the coming reign of the Messiah. This is not to be dismissed as an allegory or spiritualize it by burying the concept in symbolism.

In second place, we can be sure that the coming new millennium in the calendar has nothing to do with the biblical Millennium.  The year 2,000 just marks a chronological point in time. While part of humanity keeps time using the Western model set up by Gregorian calendar, other people keep time using other systems, such as the Chinese, Jewish, Japanese, et cetera. One may even venture to say that all systems are arbitrary.  On the other hand the Millennium mentioned in the Bible speaks of the reign of the Messiah, to which we cannot assign a precise date. Yeshua’s disciples had the same question that we have:  when these future events were to take place? In Matthew 24 we read, “As Jesus was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to him privately. "Tell us," they said, "when will this happen, and what will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the age?" And Jesus replied that “"No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”

Third, if we believe that the promises made by God to Israel are true, then the realization of many of these promises can only take place during the millennial reign of the Messiah.  God’s covenants with Israel are fulfilled during the Millennium.  The promises made to Abraham concerning the land and the seed and fulfilled in the millennial age (Isa. 10:21,22; 19:25; 43:1; 65:8,9; Jer. 30:22; 32:38; Ezek. 34:24).  The promises in the Davidic covenant concerning the king, the throne and the royal house are fulfilled by the Messiah in the millennial reign (Isa. 11:1,2; 55: 3,11; Jer. 23:5-8; 33:20-26; Ezek. 34: 23-25; 37: 23,24).  If the promises regarding the land of Israel are to be interpreted literally, then their fulfillment can only occur during the Millennium. Texts like Isaiah 11: 11-12; 65:9; Ezekiel 16: 60-63; 36: 28-29, Micah 2: 12 in which details of future possession,  regathering and dwelling in the land are made can only be fulfilled within the context of a future millennial age.

As we enter a new millennium we can look into the future with hope because we have the certainty that the God of time and space is in control.  It doesn’t help to indulge in intellectual exercises to try to second guess God’s plan for the ages. What we need to know the Bible has reveal it to us; what we don’t need to know will remain a mystery. Suffice to say that those who have trusted God as He revealed himself in the Messiah and the Holy Scriptures look forward to the time when Messiah will reign and God’s peace and justice will cease to be a dream and will become a reality.