Readings:
Revelation 20

The main topic and theme of this chapter is something called the Millennium or Millennial Reign. Interpretation of this 1000 year period is broken down into three main camps.

1. Premillennialism is the belief that this 1000 year period is a literal time period during which Jesus will reign as the restored Davidic king over Israel. This comes after the second coming and the battle of Armageddon.

This is usually coupled with dispensationalism and a pre-tribulation rapture. Their believed timeline usually runs rapture, tribulation, Armageddon, second coming, millennial reign, great judgment, new heaven and new earth.

This theological framework was thought up by John Nelson Darby in the 19th century, spread by C.I. Scofield and the Moody Bible institute, and then popularized by graduates of the Dallas theological seminary in the 20th century. This is why it’s so popular in American evangelical and baptist circles, with many pastors in these churches being taught dispensationalism at schools that are in line with it.

2. Postmillennialism believes that the world will be gradually Christianized as the gospel spreads and takes root around the world, with this leading to an eventual Christian age. In most cases this system isn’t believed to be a literal 1000 years, but a symbolic Christian age.

3. Amillennialism hold that the millennium is symbolic of the church age. Christ reigns as king of the universe through his presence, both sacramentaly and spiritually, in the church. This period began with Jesus’ first coming and ends with his second coming.

The Catholic Church rejects all forms of millenarianism (i.e., chiliasm), which contends that Christ will come again to establish a visible kingdom on earth and to inaugurate a golden age of peace and prosperity within human history (Decree of the Holy Office, 1944

CCC 676

The important thing about understanding the millennium is in the beginning of this chapter it says satan will be bound by a chain in the bottomless pit for the duration of the millennium. In amillennial systems it’s seen as a symbol of satan’s inability to stop the spread of the gospel, and his release at the end will be a last great spasm of trial and tribulation for the church just before the second coming.

In premillennialism this binding of satan will take place after the literal 1000 years of peaceful tranquility in a re-established Davidic Kingdom. When satan is released he deceives the nations and gathers some to battle against this kingdom of God but are destroyed in fiery fury.

This makes sense in amillennialism, because not everyone is part of the church and will be easily led astray by someone promising them personal wealth, power, revenge, or any other number of things that men have gone after for centuries. But in premillennialism the only people left on earth have been living in a utopian society with Jesus as its literal king for 1000 years. Who is satan going to gather to his side in this scenario?

(For a more in-depth analysis check this page from Catholic Answers Encyclopedia https://www.catholic.com/encyclopedia/millennium-and-millenarianism)

Tomorrow’s Readings:
Revelation 20