Words used in the Bible to convey the concept of "kingdom" [Heb. Malchut; Greek Basileia], mean: “royal power”, royal dominion.” The word “kingdom” has two meanings: “rule of a king” and “territory subject to a king” (cf. Ps 145:13; Matt 25:34).
In the Gospel of Matthew, another phrase is used more often - “Kingdom of Heaven” (32 times; “Kingdom of God” - only in Matthew 6:33; 12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43), but these expressions are synonymous.
The Kingdom of God means, first of all, the unlimited power of the Lord over the world - over the kingdom of nature and Spirit (Ps 103:19)
19 The Lord has established His throne in the heavens, and His kingdom rules over all.
(Ps. 103:19)
But besides this, something else is implied, namely: the dominion of God, to whom we submit ourselves and whom we willingly and joyfully serve.
Jesus teaches to pray for the coming of this Kingdom, this royal power of God (Matthew 6:10)
(Matt. 6:10)
The Kingdom of God is simultaneously in the present and in the future
Its nature cannot be called either purely earthly, or purely unearthly, or purely spiritual (1 Chronicles 29:11); a one-sided interpretation would lead to a narrowing of this biblical concept.
11 Yours, O Lord, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the splendor, and all [that] is in heaven and on earth, [Yours]: Yours, O Lord, is the kingdom, and You are above all, as the Sovereign.
(1 Chronicles 29:11)
II. BIBLE ABOUT THE KINGDOM OF GOD
The Kingdom of God, partially manifested in the present, will come in all its fullness in the future.
The Old Testament tells about the birth of the Kingdom of God, what opposes it on earth, and sets out prophetic promises concerning this Kingdom and its future.
The New Testament shows the One in whom the “Kingdom of God” is manifested on earth: Jesus Christ.
! Where Christ is, there the Kingdom of God comes
But only with the Second Coming of Jesus in glory will the Kingdom of God find its perfection on earth:
1 The Old Testament proclamation of the Kingdom of God and its expectation
When speaking about the Old Testament history of the Kingdom of God, we must first of all keep in mind the mission of Israel.
To establish His Kingdom on earth, God chose a people whom He began to lead in a special way, so that through them God’s essence would be revealed to all other peoples.
5 Therefore, if you will obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you will be My inheritance from all nations, for the whole earth is Mine,
6 And you will be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation; These are the words that you will speak to the children of Israel.
(Ex.19:5,6)
To equip Israel for the fulfillment of a high commission, God sent him His prophets, through whose mouths He gave instructions to the people.
25 From the day that your fathers came out of the land of Egypt until this day, I have sent all My servants the prophets to you, every day I have sent them from early in the morning;
(Jer.7:25)
But the people of Israel resisted God's leading and hindered the progress of God's Kingdom on earth (see Nehemiah 9:6-37).
The prophets came out with sharp denunciations of the Israelites, announcing judgment against God's chosen people. And the punishment came. Palestine was conquered by enemies, and the people were taken into captivity. But God did not give up His plan.
The predictions of the prophets about the coming Kingdom, in which God's plans would be fulfilled, were to be fulfilled. From Israel the confession of God must spread to all the nations of the world. Weapons intended for war will be reforged into tools.
(Isa.2:2-4)1 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and the nations shall flock to it.
2 And many nations will go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord and to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths, for out of Zion will go out the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
3 And he will judge many nations, and rebuke many nations in distant countries; and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks; nation will not raise sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight.
4 But each one will sit under his own vine and under his own fig tree, and no one will make them afraid, for the mouth of the Lord of hosts has spoken it.
5 For all nations walk, every one in the name of his god; but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God forever and ever.
(Mic. 4:1-5)
Israel will be a blessing “in the midst of the earth” (Isaiah 19:24). This kingdom on earth will be established by a King from the line of David. He will “execute judgment and righteousness on earth” (Isaiah 11:1,2; Jeremiah 33:15). While the kingdoms of the earth are characterized by the bestial nature (see Dan 7), the coming C.B. filled with people crap. He is represented “as the Son of man” (Dan 7:13). It will replace all previous earthly kingdoms and take their place (Dan 2:44). In the future C.B. life will be subject to new regulations, respectively. God's will (Jer 31:33; Eze 36:25ff.);
2 The Kingdom of God in the Modern World
John the Baptist and Jesus declared that the kingdom of God was “at hand” (Matthew 3:2; 4:17).
2 and says: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(Matt. 3:2)17 From that time Jesus began to preach and say: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
(Matt. 4:17)
John said that this Kingdom will be established by the One who comes after him. The entire sermon of Jesus is filled with intense expectation: the Kingdom of God is already on the threshold, it has already arrived in Jesus, but one should still pray for the coming of the Kingdom.
10 Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven;
(Matt. 6:10)7 As you go, preach that the kingdom of heaven is at hand;
(Matt. 10:7)28 But if I cast out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God has certainly come upon you.
(Matt. 12:28)
In His parables (Matthew 13) Jesus speaks of the growth of this Kingdom; this process will be completed by the powerful intervention of God (parable of the net, vv. 47-50).
47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a net that was thrown into the sea and caught fish of all kinds,
48 which, when it was full, they pulled ashore and sat down, collecting the good in vessels, and throwing out the bad.
49 So it will be at the end of the age: angels will come out and separate the wicked from among the righteous,
50 And they will throw them into the fiery furnace: there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
(Matt. 13:47-50)
! The King of this Kingdom is Jesus Himself, sent by God
His Kingdom is spiritual in nature, it is “not of this world”
36 Jesus answered: My kingdom is not of this world; If My kingdom were of this world, then My servants would fight for Me, so that I would not be betrayed to the Jews; but now my kingdom is not from here.
(John 18:36)
It cannot be established by human effort or weapons (vv. 33-37).
The one who wants to “see” the Kingdom of God and waits for its “coming”, i.e. "from the Spirit"
1 Among the Pharisees there was a certain man named Nicodemus, [one of] the leaders of the Jews.
2 He came to Jesus at night and said to Him: Rabbi! we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do such miracles as You do unless God is with him.
3 Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless someone is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
4 Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old?” Can he really enter his mother’s womb another time and be born?
5 Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
7 Do not be surprised at what I said to you: you must be born again.
8 The Spirit breathes where it wills, and you hear its voice, but you do not know where it comes from or where it goes: this is the case with everyone born of the Spirit.
(John 3:1-8)
! The Kingdom of God cannot be considered to belong only to the Jews
It is available to everyone who is in right relationship with God
11 But I tell you that many will come from the east and the west and will lie down with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven;
(Matt. 8:11)
The “fundamental law” of the kingdom of God’s power is rightfully considered the Sermon on the Mount, which lists the basic rules in force in the Kingdom of God.
Jesus' sacrificial death, resurrection and ascension created the spiritual conditions for the ancient promises of the Kingdom of God on earth and the mission of Israel to be realized. Apparently this is what Jesus' disciples expected before His ascension:
6 Therefore they came together and asked Him, saying: is it not at this time, O Lord, that you restore the kingdom to Israel?
(Acts 1:6)
Answering this question, the Risen One did not refute the assumption made, but said that the right to set times and dates belongs only to the Father. The disciples themselves had the opportunity to experience an event that was extremely important in the history of the Kingdom of God, when the apostles “were filled ... with the Holy Spirit” (Acts 2).
From that day on, the Kingdom of God embraces everyone who believes in Christ, in the great, universal Church of Christ, which is represented on earth by local churches, but is not limited to them.
! In, the Kingdom of God is embodied.
All national, religious and social differences disappear within it
28 There is no longer Jew nor Gentile; there is neither slave nor free; there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus.
(Gal.3:28)
Since Christ is the God-appointed King of the Kingdom of God, this Kingdom is rightly called the Kingdom of Christ
11 For in this way free entry into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be opened for you.
(2 Peter 1:11)
The believer in Christ is brought into His Kingdom
13 who delivered us from the power of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of his beloved Son,
(Col. 1:13)
where “righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit” triumph
17 For the kingdom of God is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.
(Rom. 14:17)
The subjects of this Kingdom still live in peace
15 I do not pray that You take them out of the world, but that You keep them from evil.
(John 17:15)
but they can already communicate with God; they are involved in the Kingdom of Heaven;
20 But our citizenship is in heaven, from where we look for a Savior, our Lord Jesus Christ,
(Phil. 3:20)1 Therefore, if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ sits at the right hand of God;
2 Set your mind on things above, not on earthly things.
3 For you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
(Col.3:1-3)
3 The Coming Fullness of the Kingdom of God
The presence of the Kingdom of God is still hidden from people and is known only by faith. But with the Second Coming of the Lord, the Kingdom of God will be established in power and glory.
There are two aspects to be distinguished here:
a) the coming Kingdom will first be earthly; then many prophetic predictions will come true
(eg Isa 2:2-4; 11:6-9; Zech 8:13,20-23).
2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord shall be established as the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.
3 And many nations will go and say, Come, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, and He will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths; For out of Zion will come the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
4 And he will judge the nations, and rebuke many nations; And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.
(Isa.2:2-4)6 Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them.
7 And the cow shall feed with the she bear, and their cubs shall lie down together, and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.
8 And the child will play in the asp’s hole, and the child will stretch out his hand into the viper’s nest.
9 They will not harm or destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea.
(Isa.11:6-9)13 And it shall come to pass: just as ye, the house of Judah, and the house of Israel, were a curse among the nations, so will I save you, and ye shall be a blessing; do not be afraid; may your hands be strengthened!
(Zechariah 8:13)20 Thus says the Lord of hosts: Nations and inhabitants of many cities will still come;
21 And the inhabitants of one city will go to the inhabitants of another and say: Let us go and pray to the face of the Lord, and let us seek the Lord of hosts; [and everyone] [will say]: I will go too.
22 And many nations and mighty nations will come to seek the Lord of hosts in Jerusalem and to pray to the face of the Lord.
23 Thus says the Lord of hosts: It will come to pass in those days that ten men from all the nations of many tongues will take hold of the half of Judah and say, We will go with you, for we have heard that God is with you.
(Zechariah 8:20-23)
Based Holy Scripture we can talk about the millennial kingdom (Rev 20:1-6).
In this the prophecy about the calling of Israel will be fulfilled. Jesus, coming to earth a second time, will judge the nations, deciding who is worthy to “inherit” His Kingdom (Matthew 25:31-46).
It is impossible to attribute biblical statements about the earthly Kingdom of Christ only to the spiritual sphere, thereby devaluing them. Someday it will be announced from heaven: “The kingdom of the world has become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and he will reign forever and ever” (Rev 11:15);
b) the earthly Kingdom of Christ should, however, be distinguished from the final perfection of all created things, when Christ will transfer His royal power into the hands of the Father, and all authority and power will be abolished (1 Cor. 15:24)
24 And then the end, when He will hand over the Kingdom to God the Father, when He will abolish all rule and all authority and power.
(1 Cor. 15:24)
Then the Kingdom of God will reach its fullness. When all the enemies of God are defeated, and the last of them is death (v. 26), Jesus will fulfill the purpose of His kingship.
Cranach, Lucas the Elder, The Golden Age. “And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.” Is. 2:4
Chiliasm(from Greek χῑλιάς - thousand), or millenarianism(from lat. mille - thousand and lat. annus - year) - ideas within the framework of Christian eschatology about “the period of the triumph of God’s righteousness on earth”, about a “golden age” in which Jesus Christ and Christians will rule the world for 1,000 years.
According to millenarians, at the end of the 1000-year Kingdom, the time will come for the Last Judgment, the End of the World and the establishment of a future eternal state - under a new heaven on a new Earth (Rev. 21:1). Some of them believe that between the end of the Millennial Kingdom and the Last Judgment there will be a short period in which the decisive battle with Satan will take place.
As the historian of religion and philosopher Academician L.N. Mitrokhin notes, having become “an expression of the dreams of the broad masses about earthly justice and the elimination of social evil” Chiliasm has been controversial throughout church history. This doctrine was often used for political purposes, and the discussion about it sometimes became heated. Different views of the Millennial Kingdom have prevailed in different eras, ranging from a literal understanding to the most refined spiritualistic interpretation.
Currently, various variants of millennialism (premillennialism, postmillennialism) have become widespread in some Protestant churches (Baptists, Pentecostals and other movements whose eschatology was influenced by dispensationalism). In the "historical churches" and classical Protestantism, amillennialism predominates, but other forms of chiliasm are also present.
Millenarianism is often understood in a broad sense as the doctrine of the period of the triumph of God’s truth on earth.
Chiliasm and the Bible
In the Old Testament
“Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them.”(Isa.11:6)
The advent of the “Golden Age” was predicted by a number of Old Testament prophets. This was prophesied by Isaiah (for example, Is.2:2-4, Is.11:6-9, Is.16:4, Is.65:17-25, etc.), Ezekiel (Ezek.40.48), Micah ( Micah 4:1) and others.
In the Old Testament this period is described as a time of happiness, health and prosperity (Isa. 35:5). The redeemed of the Lord will return to Zion and eternal joy will be over their heads, they will find joy and gladness, and sorrow and groaning will be removed (Is. 35:10, Is. 51:11). At this time the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:9). Then not only individual people, but also entire nations will be friends; people will no longer learn to fight (Is. 2:4). Then the primacy of man in creation will be restored, which he lost due to the fall, and which he regained through the death of Jesus Christ (Gen. 1:28, Gen. 3:17-19, Is. 16:4, Ps. 20:4 -6).
In premillennialism, the messianic era is identified with both the Millennium and the time after the Last Judgment (new heaven and new earth). In amillennialism, traditional in Catholicism, Orthodoxy and "historical Protestantism", the messianic era is identified with the "time of the Church" (between the first and second coming of Christ) or the time after the second coming of Christ (new heaven and new earth).
In the apocrypha
In the period between the writing of the Old and New Testaments, as well as in the 1st century, prophecies about the Messianic Kingdom on earth appear more and more often - in the apocrypha (in the Book of Enoch, the Apocalypse of Baruch, the Third Book of Ezra).
In the Book of Revelation
Millenarianism is based on a literal reading of biblical prophecy:
And I saw thrones and those sitting on them, to whom judgment had been given, and the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years . (Rev.20:4)
In total, at the beginning of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation, the expression “a thousand years” (Greek τὰ χίλια ἔτη) is used six times:
- Verse 2 - Satan is bound for a thousand years;
- Verse 3 - Satan will be released after a thousand years;
- Verse 4 - judgment, resurrection of the dead and the thousand-year reign of those resurrected;
- Verse 5 - the rest of the dead did not rise again until a thousand years had passed;
- Verse 6 - beatitude, holiness and priesthood of those resurrected in the first resurrection;
- Verse 7 - Satan's release after a thousand years.
In addition to these prophecies, certain Old Testament prophecies are associated with the thousand-year kingdom in chiliasm.
Basic Concepts of Interpretation of the Millennial Kingdom
In the Christian Church, there are three main approaches to the interpretation of Bible verses that contain references or allusions to the Millennial Kingdom: premillennialism, postmillennialism, and amillennialism. The basis for the divergence was the question of what exactly in the prophecy from the Book of Revelation should be interpreted literally and what - symbolically.
Premillennialism
Differences in Christian Views of the Millennial Kingdom
Premillennialists believe that Scripture should be interpreted literally until the context clearly shows that the author intended otherwise.
They believe that the Millennial Kingdom will be established after the Second Coming of Christ and the associated time of Great Tribulation for humanity. Christ will reign for 1000 years while physically remaining on Earth. The righteous will rise and reign with Christ. At the end of the millennium there will be a brief rebellion of Satan. It will be quickly suppressed, the wicked dead will be brought to justice. After this will come eternity.
There are two main forms of premillennialism:
In the eschatology of historical premillennialism, the visible coming of Jesus Christ and the rapture of the Church is preceded by great tribulation, and in dispensational premillennialism, separate from the visible second coming, the invisible rapture of the Church is highlighted, which, according to their views, we will be before the Great Tribulation.
Famous representatives of historical premillennialism - Charles Spurgeon, George Ladd, dispensationalism - John Nelson Darby, Cyrus Scofield.
Postmillennialism
Postmillennialists believe that the Millennial Kingdom precedes the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Moreover, the Millennium itself is usually understood not literally as 1000 years, but simply as a long period of time.
The eschatological idea of the Millennial Kingdom, as conceived by postmillennialists, consists of the continuous growth of the influence of the Gospel on the world and the conversion of all to Christianity. more of people. As a result, Christians will increasingly change the world for the better, society will more and more live according to the laws of God, as a result of which a “golden age” will come on Earth. It will end with the Second Coming of Christ, the final judgment and the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.
The “father” of postmillennialism is considered to be the 17th century writer and theologian Daniel Whitby, who believed that “Christ will reign over the world, ruling it spiritually through His Church and its preaching of the gospel message.” .
The Orthodox theologian John of Kronstadt held views similar to postmillennialism. In his opinion, a millennium (the duration was understood by him allegorically) “kingdoms of priests and evangelists who had the greatest authority among the peoples”(as evidenced, he believed, by the crusades and military victories over Muslims) lasted until the end of the Middle Ages. This time, when, according to John of Kronstadt, the devil was bound, ended in the 16th century “from the spread of lies and slander against the Lord during the period of the so-called encyclopedists” .
At the end of the 20th century, variants of postmillennialism were formed within the charismatic movement, known as the “kingdom now”/“kingdom of the present time” and “power theology”. These concepts advocate the imminent establishment of the Church's dominion over every sphere of public life, the creation of political "Christian governments" in key countries of the world, the eradication of anti-Christian laws, the final fulfillment of the Great Commission and the preparation of the planet for the "meeting with Christ." In the post-Soviet space, the spokesman for these ideas was Pastor Alexey Ledyaev, author of the book “New World Order.”
Amillennialism
Amillennialists also understand the Millennial Kingdom allegorically. They believe that this period lasts now, in the age of the Church, between the resurrection of Christ and His second coming. Amillennialists believe that at this time Satan is “bound,” meaning his influence over humanity is very limited. And Christ symbolically rules in the hearts of people. The second coming of Christ will mark the end of this period. Those who are said to reign with Christ for a thousand years in the Book of Revelation are the dead Christians who are in heaven. In turn, the reign of Christ during the millennium is not physical, but heavenly. Some amillennialists believe that Christ will never, even symbolically, rule on earth. For them, the millennial kingdom means the heavenly reign of Christ for eternity.
Amillennialism and premillennialism are close to each other in historical pessimism (the expectation of a general apostasy and the reign of the Antichrist, and not the final Christianization of the world), which contrasts them with postmillennialism. Therefore, the amillennial critique of “chiliasm” is directed primarily at postmillennial views. Forms of postmillennialism should not be confused with amillennialism, which consider the history of the Church to be a “hidden stage” of the Kingdom, but also profess its visible triumph in the world before the coming of Christ.
The Millennial Kingdom in the Theology of Christian Denominations
Amillennial views, dominant in Catholic and Orthodox theology, as well as included in the theology of the Reformation churches, were formulated in the 4th century by Augustine the Blessed (they are most fully set out in his work “On the City of God”).
According to Doctor of Theology Alexander Popov, the attitude of the Church to the Millennial Kingdom is connected with its concept of social self-awareness: if the Church imagines itself as dominant over society, then it perceives the Millennial Kingdom as actually being realized at the present time, but if the Church is in a hostile environment and represents external society as the habitat of Satan, she sees the implementation of the Millennial Kingdom in the future. During the time of Augustine, the preaching of the Gospel achieved great success - Christianity was accepted by the vast Roman Empire and this fact influenced its attitude towards the Millennial Kingdom, Popov believes.
Position of the Roman Catholic Church
The eschatology of the Roman Catholic Church is based on the concept of amillennialism. In the Catechism of the Catholic Church, chiliasm is called " a softened form of falsification of the future kingdom", which together with " political form of secularized messianism" characterized as " Antichrist's deception (...) the claim to fulfill in history the messianic hope, which can only be fulfilled beyond its borders through the eschatological judgment (...) not through the historical triumph of the Church achieved by upward movement, but through the victory of God over evil in its final offensive» .
Although this objection applies exclusively to postmillennialism, the Catholic Church does not sanction premillennialism, stating in 1944 that " the system of moderate millenarianism, teaching that Christ the Lord, even before the final judgment, either with or without the preliminary resurrection of many righteous, will apparently come to rule this earth (...) cannot be taught safely» .
Position of the Orthodox Church
It is known that in the ancient Church there were individual supporters of the doctrine of the coming thousand-year reign of Christ with the saints. However, at the Second Ecumenical Council this doctrine was condemned by the Church.
Basically, the Orthodox Church adheres to amillennialism, rejecting the literal interpretation of the Millennial Kingdom, believing that the Kingdom is not food and drink, but righteousness and peace and holiness in the Holy Spirit, the internal content of the Kingdom is created from the Church or, more precisely, from the people who form it, the devil from time her birth no longer deceives the nations (τὰ ἔθνη - pagans) to whom the Gospel was preached, for he was bound and driven out on Calvary, and his house was plundered, although he acts in the air, but has lost the power to act in souls, but he is God for non-believers, i.e. the vision described in Rev. 20:1-10 is a vision of what actually happened before and how the victory was won against hell and the powers of darkness (the release of the devil is preceded by the appearance or revelation of the man of sin). The first resurrection mentioned in Revelation 20:5 is the new birth which is spoken of much in the Gospels. According to this interpretation, under the Millennial Kingdom “We should understand the period of time from the very beginning of the blessed kingdom of the Church of Christ, especially the Heavenly Church, triumphant. The Church militant on earth, in essence, also triumphs in the victory accomplished by the Savior, but it is still going through a battle with the “prince of this age,” which will end with the defeat of Satan and his final casting into the lake of fire.” .
An important argument in favor of this interpretation is the understanding that there will not be two or even three comings of Christ, but one, as well as one general resurrection, and all this will happen on the last day, at the end of the age.
Thus, the Good News or Gospel of the Kingdom is that the summer of the Lord has come and the entrance to this summer or Kingdom is open to those who seek His righteousness.
Chiliastic views were shared by some of the fathers and teachers of the Orthodox Church, who adhered to them as their private opinion, which did not conflict with the general church doctrine. To this day, there is no unanimity in Orthodoxy in condemning the literal understanding of the Millennial Kingdom: “they fell into error, fell into condemnation and turned into insignificance the names of the enemies and opponents of this great truth”. Orthodox theology does not put a final point on this issue. "The History of Dogma"- writes Archpriest S. N. Bulgakov, - knows certain private opinions, which, moreover, differ to the point of complete opposites, but there has not been and still is not a church definition.” .
Premillennial eschatology is reflected in “A Brief Tale of the Antichrist” by Orthodox philosopher V.S. Solovyov, in which the author revises his early historical optimism (in fact, postmillennial).
Protestantism
Lutheranism - Since the time of Luther, Lutheran theology has adhered to the amillennial concept.
The main doctrinal documents of the churches of the Reformation (Augsburg Confession, 1, vii; “Thirty-nine Articles,” IV; Westminster Confession, ch. 32-33), express faith in the return of Christ, but say nothing about apocalyptic millenarianism.
The ideas of millenarianism were popular at a certain time among the Anabaptists during the Reformation, among the Puritans during the English Revolution in the 17th century. After the Great French Revolution, there was a revival of interest in the ideas of premillennialism, which gained particular popularity among Protestants in the 19th century. In the 19th century, thanks to Darby, dispensationalism became widespread among conservative Protestants in the United States and supplanted older premillennial ideas. In the 20th century, the ideas of dispensationalism received new impetus through the publication of the Scofield Reference Bible and the activities of the theological schools of Moody Bible Institute and Dallas Theological Seminary.
Currently, various variants of millennialism (premillennialism, postmillennialism) have become widespread in Protestant churches whose eschatology has been influenced by dispensationalism (mainly Baptists, Pentecostals).
In Seventh-day Adventist theology, the Millennium is understood as the period between the first resurrection (of the righteous) at the second coming of Christ and the second resurrection (of the unrighteous). At this time, all the saved will be taken to heaven, the Earth will be devastated, and in heaven the judgment of the unrighteous dead will take place (their lives will be examined in the presence of the saved). After this, the Heavenly Jerusalem will descend to Earth, the unrighteous will be resurrected and, deceived by Satan, will go to war against the Heavenly Jerusalem, but will be destroyed by fire.
The theology of liberal Protestantism is characterized by denial of the literalness of the second coming of Jesus Christ and the apocalyptic events associated with it. Eschatology is viewed in an ethical sense; popular ideas are about building the Kingdom of God on Earth through the gradual transformation of society under the influence of the preaching of the Gospel (the ideology of “social evangelism”).
The Millennial Kingdom in the Theology of Para-Christian Denominations
Ideas about the Millennial Kingdom exist in some para-Christian denominations.
Jehovah witnesses
In the eschatology of Jehovah's Witnesses, the Millennium is understood literally as 1000 years after Armageddon, during which the unrighteous will be destroyed, after which a paradise on Earth will be built under the leadership of 144,000 “anointed ones” taken to heaven.
Representatives of this school of thought understand the Millennial Kingdom as the period after the second coming of Jesus Christ, while they believe that the second coming has already happened invisibly in 1914, and the countdown of the thousand-year period will begin after Armageddon. At this time, in addition to the “great multitude” of the faithful “from all nations and tribes and peoples and languages” (Rev. 7:9), those who did not have the opportunity to hear the message of Jehovah’s Kingdom in order to make their choice will be resurrected. Jehovah's Witnesses connect the prophecy of the 144 thousand from the Book of Revelation (Rev. 7:1-8 and Rev. 14:1) with the idea of the Millennial Kingdom, taking their number literally and considering them as having the “heavenly hope” of representatives from all nations who will taken to heaven, while all the other saved ones who have an “earthly hope” will live on earth after the onset of the Millennial Kingdom. Most of the 144,000 heavenly “anointed ones” have already been taken away invisibly to heaven after their death. Then, after 1000 years of imprisonment, Satan will be released and will deceive many living on earth, but all of them, along with Satan, will be finally destroyed by God.
History of millenarianism
Theologian Wayne Grudem has noted that the popularity of premillennialism among believers grows during historical periods when the Church suffers persecution and “evil and suffering increase in the world.”
Chiliasm and the Church of the First Centuries
The author of the History of the Christian Church, Philip Schaff, noted that chiliasm was not a teaching of the Church embodied in any creed or form of confession, but it was "the widely held opinion of various teachers" .
Premillennial views can be found in the works of such Church Fathers as Barnabas, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Justin the Philosopher, Hippolytus of Rome, Papias of Hierapolis, Nepos of Egypt, Lactantius, Methodius of Patara, Julius Africanus, Apollinaris of Laodicea and others.
Thus, Papias of Hierapolis (died in 155) wrote: “After the resurrection of the dead, the Millennium will come when Christ will establish His Kingdom on earth.”. Papias wrote a lyrical description of this time: “The days will come, and there will be vineyards with ten thousand vines in each, and on each vine there will be ten thousand shoots: on each shoot there will be ten thousand bunches (ten thousand grapes each), and each will yield 25 measures of wine. And when one of the saints picks a bunch, another will shout: “I am better than her, pick me and thank the Lord with me.”. At the same time, Irenaeus of Lyons considered Papias’s speech about vineyards beautiful and fully accepted his ideas.
Justin Martyr (lived 110-165) wrote: “I and other Christians who are sound in all things know that there will be a resurrection of the body and a millennium in Jerusalem, which will be built, beautified and exalted.” .
In turn, Origen, the Alexandrian theological school, Augustine, Gregory the Theologian, Ephraim the Syrian and others opposed chiliasm in the same era.
Medieval chiliasm
Execution of the Amalricans. Illustration from a 15th century French chronicle
In the Middle Ages, millenarianism became mystified (Joachimites, Apostolics, and Amalricans appeared), simultaneously taking on an anti-feudal character. It was officially condemned as heresy and severely persecuted.
In the Constantinian era, chiliastic aspirations are gradually transferred to the Empire, the Christianization of which is seen as the fulfillment of prophecy. As the historian Eusebius of Caesarea wrote, the participants in the Council of Nicaea, having just suffered the horrors of Diocletian’s persecution, at the sight of the honors that the Emperor and his army gave them, wondered whether “the Millennial Kingdom promised by John had already arrived.” Under these conditions, the expectation of Christ's Kingdom on earth could only fuel rebellious sentiments against the Empire, which happened more than once subsequently. On the other hand, the Roman Church, as its confrontation with the Empire deepened, gradually came to declare not the Empire, but itself, the already arrived “Messianic Kingdom.”
It is interesting to note that the Bratids in Sakartvelo (Georgia), starting from the 11th century, declared themselves the descendants of King David, and Sakartvelo was identified with the Millennial Kingdom of Revelation.
Similarly, Metropolitan Zosima, after the collapse of general expectations of the coming of Christ in 1492 (7000 “from the creation of the world”), in the new Paschal, carries out the same thought in relation to the Russian state.
There is a widespread misconception that chiliasm was allegedly condemned by the Ecumenical Councils. Actually the Second Ecumenical Council rejected only the use of this teaching by Apollinaris of Laodicea, who belittled the Son before the Father, contrasting the temporary, “thousand-year” kingdom of the Son with the eternal kingdom of the Father. Against this false teaching, the Council adopted the addition to the Creed “of His kingdom there will be no end.”
In keeping with the established tradition of "spiritual" interpretation of the Millennium, many medieval scribes simply produced those chapters in which Irenaeus of Lyons spoke about the millennium. In the first Russian edition of the works of Irenaeus (1900), these chapters were preserved, but in the libraries of theological academies and seminaries they were often simply cut out.
A strong impetus to the new wave of chiliasm was given by the Calabrian abbot Joachim of Flora (1132-1201) with the teaching of the so-called Christianity of the Third Testament. According to the teachings of Joachim, The World History falls into three periods: the Old Testament - the Kingdom of God the Father, the New Testament - the Kingdom of God the Son and the coming Third Testament - the Kingdom of the Holy Spirit, which will begin in 1260. It is in the Kingdom of the Third Testament that all the promises of the Old and New Testaments will be fulfilled: people will have spiritual bodies that do not require food; Freedom and love will triumph on earth, and all power will wither away as unnecessary. This will be a thousand-year heavenly state on earth. The followers of Gnosticism did not fully agree with this teaching, since they advocated the destruction of the world. The chiliasm of Joachim of Flora was condemned by the Catholic Church at the IV Lateran Council. Historian Norman Cohn, who has devoted extensive research to apocalyptic movements in Europe in the 11th to 16th centuries, calls Joachim of Flores “the most influential European prophet before the advent of Marxism.” Under the influence of the ideas of Joachim of Flora, the flagellant movement arose in Italy in the 13th century.
During the Reformation
Cages on the tower of the Church of St. Lambert, in which the bodies of Anabaptist leaders were exhibited, who, under the influence of millenarian ideas, created the Munster Commune in 1534-1535
Millennial utopias shook European society in the pre-Reformation period and especially during the Reformation. The era of the Reformation saw the demystification of millenarianism. The idea of God's kingdom on earth came to be seen as future compensation for injustice in this life. At the same time, believers began to perceive it as achievable in “this worldly life” with the help of their own efforts.
This idea gave rise to religious-communist ideas that influenced society during the era of the Peasants' War in Germany and the English Revolution. Leaders believed that private property was “corrupting” people and should therefore be abolished. This caused opposition from the official churches. After the leaders of the Munster Commune, influenced by millenarianism, decided to build a “New Zion” and created a theocratic state based on the communist principles of community of property and social equality, millenarianism was condemned by the Lutheran and other reformed churches.
In new and modern times
Premillennial theology changed after the Reformation. This period is characterized by a refusal to attempt to transform the existing society. Millenarianism is oriented not outside, but inside the Church; the Millennial Kingdom is placed outside the boundaries of earthly history. In modern evangelical Protestant fundamentalism, the Second Coming of Christ is perceived as an upcoming literal historical event, but the idea of the Millennial Kingdom has become "very abstract and vague."
Chiliasm among the Russian intelligentsia
The influence of chiliasm turned out to be long-lasting and profound; we see its last surge in the Russian Silver Age - in the so-called “new religious consciousness” (D. Merezhkovsky, N. Berdyaev, V. Rozanov, Z. Gippius, etc.), which S. N. Bulgakov characterized as an intellectual chiliastic sect .
Impact on human history
The embodiment of the chiliastic dream in Soviet art. Ivan Golikov, “Comintern”, 1927
“All socialist utopias, hopes for the onset of future perfection, for the good result of progress, are a psychological experience and psychological transformation of chiliasm”, - wrote the Russian philosopher N.A. Berdyaev.
The Christian idea of a kingdom of justice and prosperity on earth has been borrowed many times by various political movements of the socialist and communist direction. Of course, the socialists were not going to wait for the coming of Christ. It was proposed to build “Heaven on Earth” on our own. This ideology is clearly expressed in the proletarian anthem "The Internationale"
No one will give us deliverance: Neither god, nor king, nor hero. We will achieve liberation with Our own hand.
Workers, peasants, we will be the Great Army of Labor. The earth was given for the happiness of people, Let's drive away the drones forever! Having drunk blood to his fill, the Vulture is drunk, and the raven is full. Let's ensure that they are gone, And again the sun will illuminate the world!
Millenarianism and philosophy
Russian philosopher Nikolai Berdyaev wrote: “The chiliastic idea contains a person’s dream of happiness and bliss, of a messianic feast, of paradise not only in heaven, but also on earth, not only in eternity, but even in our historical time.”. He saw this as a paradox of time and eternity. “We transfer to eternity, which relates only to time,- he wrote. - It is impossible to think of perfection, completeness, wholeness in time. The thought of perfection in time causes languishing boredom, it seems to be a stop in the creative movement, complacency.” .
The conflict between supporters and opponents of chiliasm is partly caused by the fact that a person thinks within the framework of history, he is always within history, while the Millennial Kingdom, according to Berdyaev, is the end of history, an ahistorical phenomenon. “We find ourselves at borders everywhere if we want to reach outer horizons.”, wrote the philosopher Karl Jaspers.
Bibliography
- Rozhkov V. Essays on the history of the Roman Catholic Church. M., 1994
- Prot. Alexander Men. Reading the Apocalypse. M.2000
- Prot. Sergius Bulgakov. Apocalypse of John. M., 1991
- Gaidenko P. P. Apocalypticism, chiliasm and Hellenic philosophy.
Notes
- Alexander Men -
- Christianity: Dictionary. /Ed. L. N. Mitrokhina - M: Republic, 1994. - pp. 277, 278.
- Gontar D. B. -
- Alexander Men - Bibliological dictionary. Chiliasm
- Lopukhin's Explanatory Bible. Com. on Isaiah 11:6-9
- Alexander Men - Bibliological dictionary. Chiliasm
- Per. from English P.99.
- Henry A. Verkler. - “Hermeneutics. Principles and Process of Biblical Interpretation." USA, 1995 Trans. from English P.100.
- Gontar D. B. - Understanding the Millennium in Rev. 20:1-6
- Breast Wayne.
- Cornelis Venema. Assessing premillennialism
- Dale Kuyper. The Premillennial Fallacy
- Breast Wayne. Systematic theology: Introduction to biblical teaching //Translation from English: Batukhtina T.G., Genke V.N. - St. Petersburg: Myrtle. 2004. Chapter 54
We are already far beyond the threshold of the 21st century, confidently stepping into the depths of the new millennium. Millions of Christians around the world are convinced of God's original intention for this “new millennium” to be the millennial “kingdom” identified in Revelation 20. Something delayed the completion of Christ's commission, expressed in His words: “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to every creature.” If this hypothesis is correct, then this millennium would be a time of serious “judgment”, which verse 4 speaks of, and which should occur during these “thousand years”. “And I saw thrones, and them that sat on them, and judgment was given unto them (God’s people).” “...the books were opened... and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to their deeds (Rev. 20:12)...
In the 10th chapter of the book of Revelation, it is said that God intended that with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, at the beginning of the judgment preceding the return of Christ, “the mystery of God would be accomplished, as he preached to his servants the prophets” (Rev. 10:7).
We do not know these “times and seasons,” unless by reading the prophecies we can see that we are already living “in the last days.” God's intentions will definitely be fulfilled, they cannot be annulled, because Jesus Himself teaches us to pray to the Father: “Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” God's intention was and is that this “millennial kingdom” would have come a long time ago.
The world rejoices at the great development of civilization during the last century; but we cannot throw away the promises of the kingdom of God and be content with our self-made “heaven on earth,” or, as they say, “communal paradise.”
We find ourselves longing to understand what Christ is doing today in His office as High Priest in the Most Holy Place of the heavenly sanctuary. Let us train our minds and hearts to unite with Him in this special work. Speaking about this time, Jesus calls: “Watch therefore” (Luke 21:35, 36).
A thousand years of peace on earth?
For some reason, the millennial kingdom (hereinafter referred to as the millennium) was often associated with a thousand years of peace on earth and the cessation of wars and confrontations. Many have written about this latest human utopia. Humanity, they say, will reach such a level and ability to coexist with each other that the needs of everyone will be satisfied in their entirety, and therefore there will be no need for covetousness and acquisitiveness. Some believe that this goal will be achieved thanks to technology, others pin their hopes on religion. Still others think that politicians and developed sociology will bring us the desired benefits.
Christians who believe that the second coming of Jesus will follow the millennium of peace and prosperity believe that true faith will reign throughout the world (post-millennialism). Such people think that if only we could get rid of terrorism, war, AIDS and cancer, we would be on our way to establishing the earth's millennium, having bound the "good old" devil. And the dreams of those who opposed us in the Millerite movement will be fulfilled. But the Bible teaching in Revelation 20 about the “thousand years” cannot be removed from Scripture. There will be no earthly millennium of peace and prosperity on earth; The biblical millennium will be the time of final judgment, dealing with the history of sin on this planet, and it will end with the final destruction of sin and all who cling to it, as well as the final establishment of God's eternal kingdom.
Other Christians believe that they will be raptured before the tribulation and the millennium, while the Jews will remain here to receive Christ and establish 1000 years of peace before His return in glory to them. Still other Christians consider the millennium to be a description of the entire period of history from the very time of the birth of Christ (amillennialism).
Some questions about the millennium.
“Why doesn’t God bind the devil? In this case, wouldn't everyone bad people good?" "If evil people If they get a second chance, won't they accept salvation? “Will God give them a second chance?” “Will Satan Ever Repent?” Many blame Satan for their sins. But if God bound the devil today, would all people become good starting tomorrow? The Apostle James writes: “Everyone is deceived, being drawn away by his own flesh” (James 1:14). This means that it is the evil that is within us that is the cause of our problems, and not the devil that is outside.
Will everyone be given a second chance at salvation after the start of the millennium? Will Satan cease his opposition by turning from his iniquity? Will believers spend this thousand years on earth or in heaven? When will Jesus come the second time in relation to the millennium? Is the period of a thousand years literal or symbolic? To answer these questions, let's turn to biblical prophecy.
“And I saw an angel descending from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand” (Rev. 20:1). What kind of angel is this? This is not Christ. This angel has the key of power over the abyss, or over the earthly desert, into which it will turn after the seven last plagues and the return of Christ. “He took the dragon, the ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:2). This is the fulfillment of the ancient symbolic scapegoat ceremony, in which the responsibility for sin is placed on the devil, and in which Satan is taken by a powerful angel to a desert land and chained there for a thousand years. After all, Lucifer called the earth his dominion, and himself the god of this world, so let him now do whatever he wants with it. Let him build his own kingdom on it and thereby demonstrate to the whole universe that this kingdom will be a desirable place to live. But this “ancient serpent” is powerless to create anything good in this desert. The Earth has become like Mars, unsuitable for human life.
A thousand years is a literal period, not a symbolic number. The reason for this confidence is that Christ has already declared (Rev. 10:1) that “there will be no more time (prophetic periods)” (Rev. 10:6). The longest prophetic period in the Bible is 2,300 years, ending in 1844. Therefore, prophetic time with its dates of beginning and end, according to the words of Jesus, will no longer figure in the “completion of the mystery of God.” After the second coming of Jesus, the millennium will be a literal thousand years.
“And he cast him into the abyss, and shut him up, and put a seal over him, that he should deceive the nations no more, until the thousand years were ended; after this he must be released for a little time” (Rev. 20:3). The reason that binds the devil is that he has no one else to deceive. Indeed, right up to the battle of Armageddon, his fake religious conglomerate - Babylon - performed miracles, seducing the kings of the earth, peoples and tribes in order to use them as mercenaries in the fight against God and His supporters. At the seventh plague, they were killed by the sword of God and the appearance of His coming, becoming prey to the birds of the air. Therefore, there was not a single living person left on the entire face of the earth at the beginning of this thousand years.
“And I saw thrones and those sitting on them, to whom judgment had been given, and the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast nor his image, nor received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years” (Rev. 20:4).
Those who live and reign with Christ for 1000 years are the transformed and resurrected children of God from all nations and times. Among them, the martyrs have a special distinction, elevating Jesus with their lives during the most difficult period - the crisis associated with the Sunday law and its imposition by the state, when all religious freedom will be trampled upon. These people exalted the Word of God by keeping the real seal of God's covenant - the seventh day Sabbath, according to the fourth commandment. The Sabbath will be their great sign of their righteousness by faith in the Creator and Redeemer. Their heartfelt beliefs are confirmed by their actions. They “bowed not the knee” in keeping the first day of the week. They are filled with love for Jesus, and are concerned that He will be honored and receive the crown of recognition that He deserves.
All those who overcome “as Christ also conquered” will be seated on the thrones promised to them by heaven. “To him who overcomes I will give to sit with Me on My throne, just as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne,” says Jesus (Rev. 3:21).
God's children will pass through the midst of these tribulations, and will be separated from their family members. They will not be able to communicate with each other. They don't know whether they will survive or not in this brutal battle. When Jesus comes to take us to His home to be with Him forever after the battle of Armageddon, loved ones and relatives will be separated from each other and will not know what is happening to their loved ones. Therefore, during the millennium you will be able to witness numerous happy and even unexpected encounters. However, some meetings will never take place. Why? God's free access to all information allows each person's life to be fully examined during God's investigative judgment. Every person's deeds and life are clearly displayed for all to see. “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? If the world is to be judged by you, are you really unworthy to judge unimportant [cases]? Do you not know that we will judge angels?...” (1 Cor. 6:2,3). A happy unity of opinion regarding God's judgments will triumph and unite all, for all will see the judgments of God in the light of His word, which endures forever. Those who are in heaven, who have been “redeemed from the earth,” love the gospel of Jesus. Those who despise this gospel are not there. “The rest of those who died did not live again until the thousand years were completed” (Rev. 20:5). It is not difficult to guess that those who are not with Jesus are “the rest of the dead.” They are waiting for the end of the millennium. Jesus talks about two resurrections in which every person who has ever lived will rise from their graves. He said: “...all who are in the tombs will hear the voice of the Son of God; and those who have done good will come forth into the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil into the resurrection of condemnation” (John 5:28,29). Jesus revealed to John that these two resurrections were separated by a thousand years. The second resurrection, or resurrection of judgment, will take place at the end of the millennium.
“Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection; the second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and Christ and will reign with Him a thousand years” (Rev. 20:5,6).
This is the fifth of the seven “beatitudes” listed in the book of Revelation. To be called from the grave to eternal life by the voice of Jesus himself is pure bliss.
The second death is eternal. The first death we encounter at the funeral of our loved ones is temporary. Jesus took upon Himself and fully bore our wages for sin—eternal death. For all who believe in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the second death has no power or authority. Moreover, they reign with Jesus as kings. They serve as priests at the call of God and Christ. Wherever there is a conversation about law and gospel, they are called to minister there with the Word, for this is the mission of the priest (Jer. 18:18).
“When the thousand years are ended, Satan will be released from his prison” (Rev. 20:7). The release of Satan from this prison will occur after a thousand years of his imprisonment. Anyone who has spent such a period of time in captivity would, it would seem, wish for another life in order to demonstrate his re-educated character. But instead we see that he becomes even more fierce in his opposition. “...and he will go out to deceive the nations that are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, and gather them together for battle; their number is like the sand of the sea" (Rev. 20:7)
All those who came to life in the resurrection of judgment at the end of the millennium again accept Satan's influence upon them. Their resurrection from the dead did not change their character at all. They died believing that Satan was their true “Christ.” After all, they themselves witnessed his (Satan’s) miracles, based on their own spiritualist views and the doctrine of the immortality of the soul. They themselves heard and listened to his statements that he moved the Sabbath from the seventh to the first day of the week. Their very characters are irrevocably shaped by these poisonous theories, which the devil uses to unite them under his flag and direct them to carry out his plans. “And they went out into the breadth of the earth, and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city. And fire came down from heaven from God and consumed them” (Rev. 20:8,9).
When Jesus returned to His Beloved Father at the beginning of the millennium, He took His own with Him on the clouds of heaven without ever setting foot on the ground. “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the Archangel and the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first; Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:16,17)
When our Lord returns on the clouds at the end of the millennium with the “beloved city,” He will descend directly on the Mount of Olives. “Then the Lord will come out and fight against these nations, just as he fought on the day of battle. And His feet will stand in that day on the Mount of Olives, which is in front of Jerusalem on the east; and the Mount of Olives will be divided in two..." (Zechariah 14:3,4)
Satan will certainly want to take this opportunity to take over this city, its inhabitants, and the Lord himself, because they have descended directly within the reach of him and his billions of supporters. His tactics are clear: quit as soon as possible more people on the walls and gates of this city in order to enter and take possession of it at any cost.
While the inhabitants of the city look at the approaching army and see no hope of their victory, the throne of God appears on the horizon.
“And I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose presence heaven and earth fled away, and no place was found for them” (Rev. 20:11). This event makes everyone freeze in place and attracts the undivided attention of absolutely everyone. God's majesty fills the heavens, and the Mount of Olives is split in two.
“And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of life; and the dead were judged from what was written in the books, according to their works” (Rev. 20:12). Again, God judges the wicked according to the information available and revealed to the entire universe. We see here some “books”, as well as a “book of life”. These "books" contain the life's work of all the wicked. No one can dispute the accuracy and truthfulness of these records, not even the wicked themselves. However, what matters most is the book of life, and the question is: “Are these people written in this book?” “And whoever was not written in the book of life was thrown into the lake of fire” (Rev. 20:15).
It is interesting to note that the names of all people were written in the book of life from the very “creation of the world,” because the sacrifice of Christ gave eternal freedom from the second death to every person on earth (Rev. 13:8; 17:8). “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined... (salvation) And whom He predestined, them He also called, and whom He called, them He also justified; and those whom he justified, he also glorified” (Rom. 8:29,30). Whom did God want to save, or, in other words, predestined for salvation? The apostle responds to this with an unequivocal, unambiguous instruction about God, “Who wants all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim. 2:4)
“Then the sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and hell gave up the dead that were in them; and each one was judged according to his works” (Rev. 20:13).
Now everyone's deeds express his relationship to the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world. If their names are blotted out of the book of life, it is solely because they themselves despised and rejected the Lamb. And they all rose from their earthly and watery graves.
The judgment at the end of the millennium is not a willful decision on God's part. It strictly corresponds to the personal choice of each person, proven by his own deeds. Everyone will agree that this is fair and true.
“And the devil, who deceived them, was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever” (Rev. 20:10).
Babylon as a lawless religious alliance will get what is coming to it from the beginning. Then the same fate befalls the devil himself. In the description of this lake of fire we find the words “day and night forever and ever.” This suggests that this torment will last continuously, day and night, as long as the fire has combustible material to burn. Some, like the devil and his angels, will suffer longer than others. The punishment will correspond to the degree of the crime and the condition of the offender.
“Both death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death” (Rev. 20:14).
Death is not humanity's friend at all. This is the enemy, along with the grave, which is called “hell” here. Paul writes: “The last enemy to be destroyed is death” (2 Cor. 15:26). The death sentence has never been approved by the law of God. Because death is the punishment for sin. God planned to apply this punishment only to the devil. Jesus will say to the wicked: “You who are on the left hand, depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels” (Matt. 25:41)
The Lord is deeply saddened that anyone else would have to suffer this fate. The prophet Isaiah calls this a “strange thing” on God’s part. “For the Lord will arise as on Mount Perazim; He will be angry, as in the valley of Gibeon, to do His wondrous work, and to accomplish His wondrous work” (Isa. 28:21). It is not at all characteristic and alien to God to destroy those whom He loves. And He loves everyone. But He will be forced to “let go” of those who want and choose from Himself into eternal oblivion. No man, no matter how sinful, has ever experienced what the Bible calls “the second death” (Rev. 2:11; 20:14), with the sole exception of Jesus.
The second death will come only after the millennium. And when her hour comes, there will be “silence” in “heaven” for a certain period of time (Rev. 8:1). God, along with His holy angels, will linger for some time, overwhelmed with sorrow due to the second death of those who themselves chose and decided to cease to exist forever. Yes, each of these people made their absolutely voluntary and final choice! Ellen White also shares with us the revelation that at the end of history those who are lost will desire death in the lake of fire themselves. This is completely contrary to the generally accepted idea of the perishing people who are forcibly thrown into this lake, despite their desperate requests and pleas for mercy.
In the book “The Desire of Ages” we read: “Living in rebellion against God (literally: “The fire of rebellion against God”) made them unfit for Heaven. His purity, holiness and peace would become torture for them, and the glory of God would become a consuming fire. They would not have been able to withstand all this, and they would have only one desire: to flee from this holy place. They would rather die than hide from the face of Him who died for their redemption. The fate of the wicked will be determined by their own choices. Their eternal absence from heaven will be desired by themselves, and just by God” (p. 543).
The Lord Jesus Christ did something for every man, woman and child on our planet: He died a second death for us all. We “see Jesus, who was crowned with glory and honor because he suffered death, and was made a little lower than the angels, that by the grace of God he might taste death for all” (Heb. 2:9). This “death” that Jesus “tasted” cannot be the first death, or a temporary sleep, as the Lord himself called it. Therefore, she is the “second death.” That is why the Samaritans once called Jesus the “Savior of the world,” and the Apostle Paul “the Savior of all people, and especially of those who believe” (1 Tim. 4:10). Jesus is called, first, the “Savior of all people,” and second, the “Savior of those who believe.” He is the Savior of believers in a practical sense, and He is the Savior of all people in a legal (if you want) sense, because He died the second death of all people, and now there is no need or necessity for anyone to die this death again.
This is clearly stated in Romans (Rom. 5:15-18): “God's work of grace cannot be compared with the transgression of that one man (fallen Adam). For if in the crime of that one man death came to many (that is, to all), then its effect is much more surpassed by the grace of God and the gift that came to many by the grace of one Man, Jesus Christ... The legal process that followed for one crime (Adam) , ended with a verdict of condemnation, but the work of grace (Jesus), extending to many crimes, ended with a verdict of justification... It follows that just as the result of one crime (Adam) was the condemnation of all people, so the result of one righteous deed was justification and life for all "(modern translation).
With sincerity in our hearts and the understanding of Christ’s love that has been revealed to us, we can respond to this love in such a way that “from now on” we belong not to ourselves, but to Jesus, because His love (Agape) “embraces” or leads us to take ours. the cross with Jesus, the cross on which our “I” is crucified with Him.
Jesus died the second death for every person. “But we see Jesus, who... because he suffered death,... by the grace of God tasted death for every man” (Heb. 2:9). Therefore, when God has given this gift of life in Jesus to every person, it will be strange to see how this same God will satisfy the desire of the wicked to die forever.
The prophet Malachi predicted: “And you will trample on the wicked, for they will be dust under the soles of your feet in the day that I will do, says the Lord of hosts” (Mal.4:3). What will emerge from these ashes left over from the lake of fire? – Something completely unexpected. New life.
And I saw a new sky and new land, for the first heaven and the first earth have passed away, and the sea is no more” (Rev. 21:1).
With all the warnings and signs in nature, the imbalance that will never return, we would do well to remember that the earth we now see will “pass away.” The huge oceans that separated the continents and peoples of the world will no longer cover most planet, turning it into a water desert. “New” is something that we will like. It's built into our nature to want something newer, a later version of something. The future will constantly and tirelessly radiate novelty and charm for us.
“And I John saw the holy city Jerusalem, new, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband” (Rev. 21:2).
When the beautiful virgin city descends from heaven, it will no longer resemble a barren woman. Saints will decorate its streets and homes with such an abundance of life and cultural diversity that will make it like a bride on her wedding day. Her husband will see her, take her in his arms, and cleave to her in eternal union.
The purpose of God's promise in His Everlasting Covenant is redemption, or eternal union with Him. The mystery of God has been accomplished. The plan of salvation has been completed. God is with His people, whom He loved more than life itself.
“And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death; There will be no more mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away” (Rev. 21:4). No, we will not turn into robots without emotions in that new world. Deadly diseases, fatal accidents, old age, hospitals, funeral processions, cemeteries will remain only in memory. And God will give true consolation to everyone, wiping away all tears.
“And He who sat on the throne said, Behold, I am making all things new. And he says to me: write; for these words are true and faithful” (Rev. 21:5). If everything is new, it will be a constant update. Nothing will be outdated. We will be constantly busy serving others, without forgetting about self-improvement and developing our skills.
The Millennium is the last judgment. The second coming of Christ will come before him when the first resurrection or resurrection of believers takes place, who, along with the renewed living believers, will ascend into heaven. And we will be with Him where He is. The joy of being in the place He has prepared especially for us will inspire and awaken creativity. We will also take an active role in the judgment process of the dead who remain with the devil and his angels on earth.
At the end of a thousand years, our space city-ship will return us to this old land, where we will witness the incredible resurrection of the dead. Inspired by their leader (Satan), they will continue to do what they did before death, opposing the Lamb and His kingdom, His city. When they line up before the throne of God, they will recognize the justice of God's judgments and will wish to take leave of themselves in the abyss of death.
Are you ready for God's new world? He is ready to receive you. Your name was written on the list of inhabitants of the new land. Your place has already been reserved for you by the Lamb himself.
Transformation of the living at His coming.
This is not often said, but the Bible teaches this: God's people who prepare for this will be translated into heaven without seeing death at the second coming of Jesus. To some, this biblical teaching sounds too bigoted and unthinkable, inappropriate for modern discourse. But for God it is no more difficult to change the bodies of living people, bypassing death, than to resurrect the dead, raising them from their graves at His coming. This is the so-called “blessed hope” that all believers cherish in the second coming of the Lord (Titus 2:13). Paul clearly says that when Jesus returns, He will meet a people on earth who, along with those raised from the dead, “will be caught up in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so they will always be with the Lord” (1 Thess. 4:17).
Has this “blessed hope” ceased to be a biblical teaching? We often hear about the “21st century millennium” that we have entered. This phrase implies that we have entered a new and long period of time. “Keep busy until I come” (Luke 19:13) is Jesus’ command, which many consider to be permission to plan for a millennium of peace and prosperity here in this sin-cursed earth. This question is very delicate. What to do if you are ahead long life in the retirement you will have to live out before Jesus returns? What if He continues to delay His coming, pushing back and pushing back the “blessed hope” of His people? Shouldn't this remaining life be used wisely?
Whatever we do, let us remember Noah's experience. While others were pouring everything into this world as their home, he continued to pour everything he had into building the ark. People thought he was crazy. But the construction of the ark became a joyful experience for him, because God’s grace accompanied him in this work. So you too, by doing what God Himself blesses, find true happiness. Let us remember the words of Jesus that apply to us today: “Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overloaded with excess and drunkenness and the cares of this life, and lest that day come upon you suddenly,” as it did in the days of Noah (Luke 21). :34; 17:26,27).
Don't let all this talk about a prosperous millennial tempt you into thinking that this world is your home.
Pastor Paul Penno
The kingdom of the world became the kingdom of Christ (11:15). They came to life and reigned with Christ (on earth) for a thousand years (Rev. 20:4).
God's work will not cease in preparing the coming of Christ and the restoration of His Kingdom. The earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters fill the sea. When millions of enlightened people are reborn on a transformed earth, and then the life of the visible with the invisible, the temporary with the eternal, begins, what a wonderful enlightenment of all peoples this will be!
What is the thousand-year kingdom of Christ on earth according to the Bible, and who will live in this kingdom? “And the girdle of His loins will be righteousness, and the girdle of His thighs will be truth. Then the wolf will live with the lamb, and the leopard will lie down with the kid; and the calf, and the young lion, and the ox will be together, and a little child will lead them. And the cow will graze with the she-bear, and their cubs will lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the child will play over the asp's hole, and the child will stretch out his hand into the snake's nest. They will not do evil on My holy mountain; for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea (Isa. 11:5-9).
The prophecies of the Old Testament speak very clearly about the establishment of the kingdom of peace on earth: first, this is the glorious jubilee of the earth (Lev. 25:8-101); secondly, this is the rehabilitation of Christ and the church (Isa. 53:2) and thirdly, this is the fulfillment of all the promises to Israel and the nations of the earth (Ps. 2:1-12).
From His kingdom all curses and the author of them will be removed. The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool!” The Lord will send the rod of Your strength from Zion” (Ps. 109:1).
And until when should we maintain deathly silence about the great glory of Christ on earth that you will create? Hundreds of prophecies, visions and revelations speak of this. Who gave the right to keep silence behind seven seals and who benefits from hiding the dizzying joy from the knowledge of the coming Kingdom (millennium). We must clearly imagine the atmosphere of harmonious calm that will reign on earth in the era of the millennium. It will abolish state and social violence, it will eliminate any kind of exploitation, it will weaken the predatory principle in man. It will soften the morals of nations to the extent that the prophecies indicate to you; it will raise culture, creativity, architecture, painting to a rational creative being (Is. 65:19-23). About the despotism of states, about wars and revolutions; You will learn about hunger, poverty, epidemics and diseases only in museums and libraries. All our strength, not distracted by social struggle and personal life, will be spent on spiritual and physical improvement, on quenching the thirst for knowledge of Divine wisdom.
But as far as I myself understood and imagined, I can explain to you how much the earth can be renewed. I know that in people's dreams, in their visions and revelations, a lot is shown about this.
What does this kingdom look like?
And it will come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the house of the Lord will be established as the top of the mountains, and will be exalted above the hills, and all nations will flow to it. And He will judge the nations and rebuke many nations, and they will beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning hooks, and nation will not lift up sword against nation, and they will no longer learn to fight, nor will His thighs be girded - Truth. They will not harm or destroy on My holy mountain: for the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea” (Isa. 2:2-5).This picture, like past visions, passed before me when I returned and was in a dream. I thought - this is the restoration of the paradise created by God, only on a huge scale throughout civilization and all humanity. This is a worldwide unification of peoples for peaceful purposes and the preservation of the sacred gift of life on earth. The millennial reign of Christ is God's original intention for mankind and the earth (Heb. 1:6; Isa. 35:1-8). There will be no more sickness and suffering (Isa. 2:2-4). Peace will reign throughout the whole earth (Ps. 45:10; 71:7). There is no end to His government (Isa. 9:7). There will be an abundance of healthy food (Ps. 71:1b-17; Isa. 11:6-10). All this and much more cannot remain reflected in culture, education, architecture, science, construction and urban planning, the ensemble of great services and the glorification of Christ for the nations. The temple in Jerusalem will be small. Do you know what magnificent temples there will be, filled with great works of artists? What kind of choirs and music are there? Spiritualizing the soul of man, majestic glorification is like incense ascending to the throne of majesty on high.
When speaking about enlightenment in the millennial Kingdom, we must understand that it will be worldwide. How many teachers, directors, professors, institutes and academies will be needed to cover the whole world! What will they teach there? This includes, firstly, all spiritual areas: the consciousness of the soul and spirit, because there will be people from a higher sphere who will transmit the influence of spiritual healthy abilities on the physical world.
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Millennium Kingdom
I.
Under T.C. refers to that era in Sacred and world history that precedes the last great Judgment. This is stated quite definitely only in Rev 20:4-6; ideas that are similar in meaning are also expressed in 1 Cor 15:23-28, but the very concept of T.C. missing here. Decree. the message in the book of Revelation refers to a grand vision of the Second Coming of Jesus (see Second Coming of Jesus) (Rev 19:11 - 20:15). Victorious Jesus, "Lord of Lords" (Rev 19:16), now overcomes the “beast”, the “false prophet” and their armies, i.e. world kingdoms and religions rebelling against Him; the beast and the false prophet were cast into the lake of fire, and their followers were killed (vv. 17-21). However, the source of evil, Satan, has not yet been destroyed, but is only bound and for a certain time (Rev 20:1-3) isolated from the world. From this moment on, an era begins when Satan is deprived of all ability to influence people and Jesus Christ rules over the world. Together with Him, the martyrs resurrected by Jesus and put to death also take part in governing the world - as judges, rulers and priests. for the Word of God and for the testimony of Jesus (vv. 4-6). This first resurrection concerns only them, and not all people who have died by this time (see Resurrection, III, B, 1 and 2). The duration of this era, as stated in Revelation, is a thousand years (vv. 4,6). After this, Satan will be released again (v. 7) and will go out to “seduce the nations of the earth” into a final, desperate rebellion against the Lord (vv. 8,9); but fire from heaven will destroy them all, and then Satan will also be cast into the lake of fire (v. 10). After this, the time comes for the second, general resurrection for the last one to end. Judgment, the Crimea ends this world era (vv. 11-15) and the Crimea is followed by the creation of a new heaven and a new earth (Rev 21:1ff.). For the picture of T.T. depicted in Revelation, as well as for the statements in 1 Cor 15:23ff., characterized by restraint. It does not reveal details that will take place in the future, and there is also no depiction of this time in the spirit of the “golden age”. This fragment of Revelation only reports that during this thousand years Jesus will establish a new order, to which all the inhabitants of the earth will be subordinate; but the final indignation of the people that followed shows that these new external institutions are not identified with the fundamental internal ones. renewal of all people. Moreover, the words “a thousand years” cannot be taken as an indication of an exact calendar period; acc. Ps 89:4 and 2 Pet 3:8, T.Ts. should be understood as very long, ending. a period of time comparable to the “day” of creation. This thousand years must be considered as the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (cf., e.g. Isa 2:1ff; 11; 60-66; Micah 4:1-7; 7:11-20)
. During the limited period In time, life on earth will be determined by the fact that the supreme power will belong to Jesus, and the forces of evil will be fettered and powerless. At the same time, Jesus will especially praise those who gave their lives following Him; here what is promised will be fulfilled Rev 1:6; 3:21; 6:9-11. But in T.C. God's ultimate goal has not yet been achieved, for the earth itself, on which this kingdom is established, is destined for destruction (Matt 24:35; 2 Pet 3:10,13) Moreover, the power of Jesus also extends to those people who have not yet been internally renewed and therefore, when Satan is released, they will become victims of his seduction. Life itself in the shopping center. cannot save a person for eternity unless that person is spiritually regenerated.
II.
The doctrine of T.C. had a variety of consequences in the history of Christianity. In the ancient Christ. it was alive in communities and in the early Church, and as a result of persecution, faith in it constantly received new impulses. Christians went to their deaths with the expectation that, having been resurrected, they would sit on the throne as martyrs in the T.Ts. But when, from the time of Constantine (from 313 A.D.), Christ. faith turned into state. religion, this hope began to fade, until eventually every adherent was declared a heretic. Christianity began to attribute this to the Bible. concept to the current period, and consider T.Ts. as the already arrived era of the church. and Priest. stories. Therefore, hope for the future of T.Ts. Church authorities perceived it as an opposition to the doctrine that it already existed in the present. But every time in times of wars and disasters, knowledge about T.Ts. came to life and gave people comfort and hope. Great caution evangelical. churches in their approach to this issue is due to the fact that over the centuries the idea of T.C. has been multifaceted. was used by teachers whose views were very far from truly biblical. Sometimes this idea even completely replaced the expectation of the final Judgment and completion. updates, which are resp. are the purpose of the whole story. A picture of a golden age in which Christ does not necessarily occupy the center. place, and the main attention is paid to the fulfillment of worldly hopes for Better conditions life, the implementation of which people do not see in the present, represents a falsification of the Holy. Scriptures. Obvious misconceptions also include constantly repeated attempts to establish the timing of the onset of TC. As experience shows, one-sided. concentration on expectations, communication. with the immediate future, leads to aggressiveness, fanaticism and arrogance. They are the result of a departure from the sober balance inherent in the Bible.
. F. Rinecker, G. Mayer. 1994 .
See what the “Millennial Kingdom” is in other dictionaries:
- – see CHILIASM. Philosophical encyclopedic dictionary. 2010… Philosophical Encyclopedia
Millennium Kingdom- ♦ (ENG millennial kingdom) the thousand-year reign of Christ, about which is spoken of in the book of Revelation of St. John the Evangelist (Rev. 20:1 7) ...
Millennium Kingdom- See “Resurrection”... Dictionary of Biblical Names
Millennial Kingdom- English: Millenium The word millenium comes from the Latin words mille, which means thousand, and annus, which means year. Hence, a period of 1000 years. Although the concept of the Millennial Kingdom is based on the unconditional covenants in the Old Testament,... ... Dictionary of theological terms
I. CONCEPT The words used in the Bible to convey the concept of kingdom (Heb. malchut; Greek basileia) mean: royal power, royal dominion. The word kingdom has two meanings: the rule of the king and the territory subject to the king (cf. Ps 145:13; ... ... Bible Encyclopedia Brockhaus
kingdom- (kingdom), Kingdom of God rule of men or God A. Themes in the Bible KINGDOM as a theme: second Kings: 2 Kings 5:12 third Kings: 1 Kings 4:21 B. Earthly kingdoms 1. The main kingdoms of biblical history Kingdom of Bashan: Numbers 32: 33 Amorite kingdom:… … Bible: Topical Dictionary
earthly kingdom- ♦ (ENG earthly kingdom) kingdom of God on earth; often this term refers to the future thousand-year reign of Christ (Rev. 20:4) ... Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms
millennial kingdom- Millennium Kingdom... Westminster Dictionary of Theological Terms
JOHN THE GOLDEN REVELATION- the last book of the NT and the entire Christian Bible. In the manuscript tradition there are at least 60 variants of its name (Hoskier. 1929. Vol. 2. P. 25-27). The earliest manuscripts (Sinaiticus () and Alexandrian (A) codes) contain a brief... ... Orthodox Encyclopedia
- (from the Greek χῑλιάς thousand), or millenarianism (from the Latin mille thousand) a doctrine based on the literal interpretation of the prophecy of Rev. 20:1 4, speaking of the thousand-year Kingdom of God on earth at the end of history ... Wikipedia
Books
- Millennial Kingdom (300-1300). Essay on the Christian culture of the West, Voskoboynikov Oleg Sergeevich. The monograph is an outline of the Christian culture of the West from the era of the Church Fathers to its apogee at the turn of the XIII-XIV centuries. Without pretending to provide a complete description and analysis of all aspects of spiritual life...
