Introduction

Revelation 20, and especially verses 1-6, has been rightly described as a crux interpretum. It is arguably the last most difficult text in Scripture. One of the points of debate has to do with where the saved will spend the millennium: in heaven or on earth? Most premillennialists hold the view that the saints will remain on earth throughout the thousand-year period between Christ’s return and the eternal state in the new earth (Rev 21). They aver, for example, that the saints mentioned in Rev 20:4 “reign” with Christ for a thousand years on earth and not in heaven. For evidence they point to Rev 5:10 where the saints “will reign on earth” (basileu,sousin evpi. th/j gh/j or, according to other manuscripts, basileu,ousin evpi. th/j gh/j “they reign on earth”). Regardless of the variant reading, in Rev 5:10 the saints are said to “reign on earth,” which is then identified with the millennial reign of Rev 20:4. Meanwhile, postmillennialists look to a millennial-time before Christ returns when most of earth’s population will accept the gospel, while for still some of them, as well as for amillennialists, the millennium has been going on from the time of Christ.

Other premillennialists, mostly Adventist scholars, have defended their “heavenly premillennial” position mostly by appealing to the use of the word “thrones,” in Rev 20:4. According to this reading, most occurrences of “throne” refer to God’s throne in heaven.¹ The word “throne” (qro,noj) occurs forty-six times in Revelation. Of these, forty-two are in the singular form. Of the singular forms, thirty-nine explicitly refer to God’s (and Jesus’) throne in heaven. Only three of the forty-two singular forms refer to Satan’s throne (2:13; 13:2) and the beast’s throne (16:10). Of the forty-six occurrences, four are in the plural form, namely, the twenty-four “thrones” and upon the “thrones,” the twenty-four elders (4:4; 11:16); and the “thrones” for those who reign with Christ for a thousand years (20:4), all four uses we argue are also in heaven (see below). Adventist scholars have correctly pointed to other passages in Revelation which make it clear that the redeemed will be in heaven, at least for some time (7:9-17;² Rev 14:1-5). This paper seeks to show that the heavenly millennial kingdom helps explain why several NT passages stop short of specifying where eternal life is to be lived, whether in heaven or on earth. To be sure passages abound that speak about believers living forever (without specifying the location), inheriting eternal life (without specifying the location), the kingdom of God (which is not necessarily heaven), the kingdom of heaven (which can simply be taken as genitive of source, hence “kingdom from heaven,” and therefore does not preclude earth as the location of that kingdom), inheriting the earth (Mat 5:5), reigning with Christ on earth (explicitly stated in Rev 5:9,10), and those that speak of eternity in the new heaven and the new earth. So a majority³ of NT passages speak of the eternal inheritance without specifying the location. I submit that this apparent ambiguity is best explained when it is understood that eternal life begins with a thousand years in heaven and continues into eternity on the new earth. Additionally, the process of judgement that begins shortly before the return of Christ continues through the millennium. The millennium, therefore, acts as the eschatological interface between judgement and eternity. From this perspective, the millennium enables more precise plotting of other eschatological events than is otherwise possible from other Scripture passages. In the first section of this paper, I survey selected New Testament passages relating to the hope of eternal life. The second section suggests some exegetical insights on Rev 20 that support the view of a heavenly millennial reign.

Select NT Passages and the Locus of Eternity

As I have noted, there is hardly a NT passage which explicitly states that when Christ comes the second time, believers go with him to heaven. Yet many Christians assume that the end game of being saved is “to go to heaven.” Take this quote from a recent issue of Ministry: “He [Jesus] bought us with His own blood and wants us to have eternal life and live with Him in heaven.”⁴ So is this belief misplaced after all? Is “heaven” only a metaphor for eternal life or the paradisiacal life on earth-made-new, in what the book of Revelations describes as the new heaven and the new earth, with no actual heaven to go to? So why do NT passages seem to stop short of specifying where eternal life is to be lived? Let us consider a few of these.

In Matthew 5:3, 10 the phrase “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” forms an inclusio on the first eight beatitudes addressed to “those who are ” This phrase could mean that the poor in spirit (v. 3) and “those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (v. 10) already have or will inherit eternal life (in unspecified location), or that they will go to dwell in heaven. The genitive “of heavens” (tw/n ouvranw/n) in both verses can mean, in this context, a kingdom whose origin or source is heaven (hence “kingdom from heaven,” a kingdom coming down from heaven), or it can also refer to a kingdom with heavenly characteristics, hence a heavenly kingdom (attributive genitive). The genitive can also be taken as genitive of apposition (on the analogy of the phrase “the city of Rome”) to refer to a kingdom that exists in heaven as opposed to other earthly kingdoms. The point is that this phrase sets readers up to conclude that the believers will go to heaven, but at best it is ambiguous in terms of the location.

In Matthew 5:12 Jesus declares to those who are falsely accused and persecuted for his sake to “rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven…” (NKJV, emphasis mine). However, “heaven” is in the plural (evn toi/j ouvranoi/j, “in the heavens”) as we have also seen in relation to the kingdom of heaven in verses 3, 10. A cursory survey of the NT shows that in contexts in which heaven as a location is in view, “heaven” tends to be singular (Matt 5:34; 6:10, 20; 11:23; 16:1; 28:2, 18; cf. Col 1:15; Rev 3:12). In the synoptic gospels the phrases “kingdom of God” and “kingdom of heaven” are used interchangeably, with Matthew preferring the latter. Mark and Luke use more of the phrase “kingdom of God.” The plural use of kingdom “of the heavens” seems to make better sense if taken as attributive genitives to be rendered “heavenly kingdom,” without indicating the location; though other syntactical categories are also possible in certain contexts. In John’s gospel, the phrase “eternal life” (zwh, aivw,nioj) expresses the same concept as “the kingdom of God” of the synoptic gospels. In almost all cases, the location where the believers enjoy this kingdom or life is open to interpretation.

In 1 Thes 4:13-18, the apostle Paul describes the sequence of events at Christ’s coming. Christ personally descends “from heaven” (avpV ouvranou/, v. 16, singular, hence “heaven” as a location). Those who had died while having faith in Christ (it cannot mean “died through Christ” as others have surmised) will arise first. Believers who will be found alive will be carried away (a`rpa,zw) with the resurrected saints in the clouds, and both groups will meet the Lord in the air.<sup>5</sup> Thus believers will always be with the Lord. Even though the text does not explicitly state that both groups will then go to heaven with Jesus, the text does not state that the Lord and his followers will settle on earth either, as premillennialists are quick to claim. The resurrection envisaged here only involves the believers (cf. 1 Cor 15:23), a fact which sets the stage for understanding the two resurrections in Rev 20. One is referred to as the first resurrection, involving believers and the (implied) second one involving unbelievers; only that in Rev 20 the two resurrections are placed one thousand years apart. The idea that the believers rise first in 1 Thess 4:16 is not in relation to unbelievers, but rather before the living believers are carried away (a`rpaghso,meqa). Once the believing dead are raised, then believers who are alive are carried away together, at the same time, with the resurrected believers “in order to meet”⁶ the Lord.⁷ After the meeting in the air, we are not told whether Christ and his followers come to earth or go to heaven. The passage stops short of specifying the location where the believers “will always be with the Lord” (pa,ntote su.n kuri,w| evso,meqa 4:17). The Thessalonian reader is left focusing his/her attention on the hope of the resurrection (cf. 1 Cor 15) and that of always being with the Lord, whether, as Revelation will amplify, for a thousand years in heaven or for eternity in the new earth (Rev 21) is left open.

According to 1 Cor 15:23-26 Christ’s coming marks the end (v. 24) of the world as we know it; Christ shall usher in his kingdom (i.e. as Paul states, “deliver the kingdom to God the Father” which is accomplished at the end of the thousand years in the new heaven and the new earth but begins at the Second Coming) after putting an end to all earthly rule and all authority (v. 24; cf. Dan 2:44). At that time the dead in Christ rise never to die again. Hence the last enemy which is death shall have been defeated (v. 26). The description of the second coming in this Corinthian passage shares many similarities with the description in 1 Thess 4:13-17. The dead in Christ are said to be asleep (1 Cor 15:51; 1 Thes 4:13), the coming of Christ will be accompanied by the trumpet sound (1 Cor 15:52, 1 Thes 4:16), in 1 Cor 15:52, 53 the dead who are raised are raised incorruptible, and immortal, suggesting that we are not dealing here with the resurrection of unbelievers, but rather of believers. Similarly, the resurrection in 1 Thess 4:16 involves only those who died while having faith in Jesus Christ (dead in Christ). Again the 1 Corinthian passage does not state where the resurrected believers go after they have been raised and clothed with immortality. The Corinthian reader is invited to focus on the hope of Christ’s return, the resurrection, and the eternal reward of unending life, which we now understand with the hindsight of Rev 20, in heaven for a thousand years and for eternity in the new heaven and the new earth.

John 14:1-4,⁸ is perhaps the clearest in stating that believers will go to heaven, but the clarity is still only implicit. Here Jesus speaks of there being many dwellings/mansions in his father’s house and that he was going to prepare “a place” for his followers, after which he would “come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also” (NKJV, cf. 17:24). Even though the word “heaven” appears only once in the entire pericope from 14:1-17:26 (Jesus “lifted up His eyes to heaven” 17:1), it is clear that Jesus is referring to his going to “heaven,” the dwelling place of God. Jesus expects his disciples to know where he was going (14:4), namely, “to the Father” (14:12, 28; 16:10, 28; 17:11). In his prayer in 17:24, Jesus expresses the desire for his followers to be with him where he was soon going to be, in heaven. Therefore, John 14:1-6 holds hope for the believers that their eternal reward at least includes dwelling in heaven, even if other passages will specify eternal life on the earth-made-new. This pattern of non-specificity of the location continues in other passages as well (such as Matthew 25:31-34, 41, 46; Col 1:13; 1 Cor 3:21-22; Eph 1:3; 2:6; 3:1).⁹

How else are we to explain why Scripture, outside of Revelation in general and Rev 20 in particular, does not specify the location where eternal life is to be lived other than by the genius of inspiration? Eternal life was going to be in heaven for a thousand years, per Rev 20, and in the new earth for eternity (Rev 21-22). As one leading premillennialist scholar has stated, the millennial kingdom revealed in Rev 20 is “compatible” with, “harmonizes” and “clarifies” earlier OT prophecies and NT predictions concerning the eschatological kingdom.¹⁰

Reading Revelation 20: Judgment and Eternity

In this section I address several matters of exegesis. The first point to emphasize is that the saints seated on thrones in verse 4 is best understood as referring to all the saints of all time. The text of Rev 20:4-6, though well preserved with only minor text critical problems, is open to interpretation. Are those who sit on the thrones include all the saved of all time, with certain ones with unique experiences such as martyrdom and refusal to worship the beast singled out for special mention? Or, are those who sit on thrones only the martyred saints and those who overcome the beast power, leaving the rest of the redeemed unaccounted for? Or, further, are we looking at three distinct groups: those who sit on thrones, those who were martyred, and those who overcame the struggle with the beast? The first option seems to be the best sense of this passage, namely, those who sit on thrones represent the redeemed of all time (cf Rev 3:21). The conjunction in the phrase kai. ta.j yuca.j tw/n pepelekisme,nwn (“and the souls of those who had been beheaded”) in 20:4 is best taken as a connective (adjunctive) conjunction (“likewise,” “also”). Wallace says that this use adds “an additional element to a discussion or adds an additional idea to the train of thought.”¹¹ In this case, the additional idea is that those who had been beheaded were among those seated on the throne. David Aune takes this conjunction as epexegetical – it explains and identifies those sitting on thrones (hence “that is”),12 which would the suggest that those sitting on thrones are identical to the martyred believers and those victorious over the beast power, thus leaving out the rest of believers throughout history. However, kai, is not commonly used in this manner. The accusative ta.j yuca.j (“the souls”) is clearly the object of the verb ei=don (I saw) at the beginning of the verse, but which is omitted in this phrase. Therefore, the passage may be translated as follows:

4 Now, I saw thrones and [those who] sat on them. The authority to judge was given to them. Likewise, [I saw among them] the souls of those who had been beheaded because of the testimony of Jesus and because of the word of God; [there were also all] those¹³ who did not worship the beast nor his image, nor received the mark on their forehead or on their hand. They [all] became alive and reigned with Christ for the thousand years.

According to this reading, all the saints are seated on thrones. Among them are those who had been martyred for their faith in Christ. There are also those who had withstood the contest with the beast powers. All these became alive in what we are now told is the first resurrection,¹⁴ and joined by those who had been carried away (a`rpa,zw) according to 1 Thes 4:17; and all of them changed (avlla,ssw) to immortality (avfqarsi,a, “incorruptibility,” avqanasi,an “immortality”) according to 1 Cor 15:51, 53, 54.

Another reason for interpreting those who sit on thrones as including all the saved is that Rev 20:4-15 draws on several themes from Dan 7:9, 10, 14, 27. Themes such as “thrones,” “judgment,” “books,” the granting of “dominion and glory and kingship” (Dan 7:14 NRSV) to Christ, the giving of “kingship and dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven . . . to the people of the holy ones of the Most High” (Dan 7:27 NRSV), appear in both passages. The context of Daniel clearly does not leave out any saints, and so is the context in Rev 20. The burden of proof should shift to those who argue that only some saints will sit on thrones and not others, to provide biblical support for that view. The promise given to overcomers in Rev 3:21 is that “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne” (ESV). This promise which is now being fulfilled in Rev 20:4 applies to all the believers who received the messages to the seven churches and not just to the believers in Laodicea. By extension, the promise applies to all believers of all times.

Second point in connection with Rev 20 is that the thrones are in heaven and not on earth. As I explained above, the word “throne” in verse 4 occurs in Revelation with reference to God’s throne which is in heaven, with only a few exceptions. The only time God’s throne is not heaven is in Rev 22:1-3 where the throne of God is now on earth, but it is in the New Jerusalem which has recently descended from heaven (21:2).¹⁵ Similarly, the thrones and the judgment scene in Dan 7:9, 10, 13, 14, 26, 27 are clearly in heaven. If this premise is accepted, then the location of such other “thrones” as in Luke 22:30 should also be understood to be in heaven. Here, Christ refers to thrones in his kingdom on which his followers will sit while judging the twelve tribes of Israel (Luke 22:30).

Thirdly, the binding of Satan in Rev 20:1-3 should be understood first and foremost as an act of judgment rather than an intention to stop deception. Postmillennialists and ammillennialists understand the binding of Satan as having to do with restricting his activities through history. Accordingly, Satan was bound during Christ’s first coming. As to the charge that Satan does not seem to be bound, given that he is still wreaking havoc on earth today, the response is that the binding was only to prevent Satan from deceiving the nations. According to this interpretation, Satan is able to cause other sorts of chaos that the world has seen, but he has been unable to prevent the proclamation of the gospel around the world beyond the borders of first century Judah in keeping with the gospel commission in Matt. 12:28-29 (see also John 12:31).

In light of the judgment theme in Rev 20 (actually form Rev 16-19:10, 17-21), the binding of Satan and casting him into the abyss in Rev 20:1-3 is best understood as punishment for his role in deception, and other forms of evil. The intensity of this judgement is underscored by the “great chain” (a[lusij mega,lh v. 1) which the angel has for this job and by the use of several verbs. The angel apprehends (krate,w) Satan, and binds (de,w) him for a thousand years (v. 2). The angel then casts (ba,llw) Satan into the abyss (a;bussoj), and proceeds to shut (klei,w) it and place a seal (sfragi,zw) over Satan. The intensity suggested by these verbs seems to go beyond merely restricting Satan’s deception, but rather as punishment for his various roles conveyed by his names (dragon, serpent, devil, and Satan, v. 3). After all, why would deception be the purpose for the binding of Satan when there is no one to deceive in the first place! This reading requires a shift of emphasis from purpose to result in the i[na with the subjunctive clause in verse 3. The common interpretation is to take this phrase “in order that he should no more deceive the nations” (i[na mh. planh,sh| e;ti ta. e;qnh), to express the intention in the binding of Satan. Instead, with emphasis on result,¹⁶ the phrase is better translated “with the result that he could no more deceive the nations.” The inability to deceive the nations on the part of Satan is only one consequence of this act of judgment.

This emphasis on the binding as a more comprehensive judgment on Satan rather than merely the intension to keep him from deceiving the nations is supported by evidence from 1 Enoch. In 1 Enoch 10:4 we have themes that are reflected in Rev 20. These include the destruction of the earth (4), the command to Raphael to bind Azazyel, hand and foot and to cast him into darkness – of the desert (6), where he should remain till the day of [final] judgment when he is cast into fire (8, 9), where he and his followers will burn, again after being bound for many generations (17), after which the earth shall be “cleansed from all corruption, from every crime, from all punishment, and from all suffering; neither will I again send a deluge upon it from generation to generation forever (27). The binding of Azazyel is part of punishment for his instigation of evil just as Rev 20:3 indicates that Satan is bound not only so that he does not deceive the nations, but also because he deceived the nations and committed other acts of evil. 1 Enoch goes on to state: “All the earth has been corrupted by the effects of the teaching of Azazyel. To him therefore ascribe the whole crime” (12).¹⁷ Clearly, the millennial incarceration of Satan is an integral part and continuation of the judgement.

Consequently, the abyss is not so much the place as it is a symbol of judgement. The majority of scholars consider the abyss to refer to a place of Satan’s imprisonment, some other location other than the earth. Even though there are a number of factors that lead to the conclusion that the abyss refers to the destroyed earth following Christ’s return, the primary focus in Rev 20 with reference to the abyss, as with the binding as we have seen, is on the act of judgment rather than on place. It is true that we cannot speak of imprisonment without paying some attention to the prison itself, the problem is that attention ends up being focused on the prison to the neglect of the crime and its punishment. In Revelation, abyss seems to refer less to the place as to the symbolism of the destiny of the characters involved. This seems to me to be the sense in 9:1, 2, 11; 11:7; 17:8 as well as 20:1, 3. In 9:1, 2, 11 the context does not suggest a cosmology of sorts, but a symbolism for the releasing or, better, unleashing of the demonic forces, who themselves are destined to destruction. The abyss from which ascends the beast in 11:7 and 17:8 may be understood not as designating location but more as symbolisms of the beasts’ identity and destiny. Similarly, in Rev 20:1, 3, the abyss is more symbolic of judgment than a designation of a location. After all, Revelation only recognizes three realms in creation. In Rev 14:7 we read of “heaven and earth, the sea and the springs of water.” In 5:13 John says that he “heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and in the sea.” And in 5:3 “no one in heaven or on earth or under the earth” was found worthy to open the scroll.

To be sure, the abyss also symbolizes the destroyed earth in the wake of Christ’s coming, on the analogy of the “darkness - of the desert” in 1 Enoch 10 into which Azazyel is cast. The destruction of the earth and its inhabitants is apparent in Rev 6:12-17, where we see the outpouring of “the great day of the wrath of God” (v. 17). In 11:17-18, with the sounding of the seventh trumpet, the time has come for God to destroy “those who destroy the earth.” The bowls carried by the angels with the seven plagues in 16:5-21 are said to be full of the wrath of God (16:7) which the angels are commanded to pour on the earth (16:1). As the seventh angel pours out the contents of the seventh bowl into the air (16:17-21), there are “flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, and a violent earthquake, such as had not occurred since people were upon the earth, so violent was that earthquake. The great city was split into three parts, and the cities of the nations fell. God remembered great Babylon and gave her the wine-cup of the fury of his wrath. And every island fled away, and no mountains were to be found; and huge hailstones, each weighing about a hundred pounds, dropped from heaven on people, until they cursed God for the plague of the hail, so fearful was that plague” (NRSV). As Babylon faces its destructive judgments the refrain is that “in one hour” her “judgment has come,” “all her wealth has been laid waste,” “she has been laid waste” (18:10, 17, 19 NRSV). As a result of this destruction, the earth is littered with the “the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of the mighty, the flesh of horses and their riders-- flesh of all, both free and slave, both small and great.” (19:18 NRSV). Not only is the condition of the earth indeed an abyss, but also underscores why it is inconceivable that there can be a millennial kingdom on earth.

Instead, while Satan is bound on earth during this millennial period, the saints are preoccupied with judging and reigning with Christ in heaven (20:4, 6), not in the destroyed earth. In Rev 20:11-12 John sees not only “a great white throne and the one who sat on it; the earth and the heaven fled from his presence, and no place was found for them.” He also sees “the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Also another book was opened, the book of life. And the dead were judged according to their works, as recorded in the books,” (NRSV). The two passages are connected by the themes of “thrones” and “judgement.” These themes of thrones and judgment, as well as the opening of books are allusions to Dan 7:13, 27. In keeping with biblical and indeed the ancient Near Eastern royal ideology, judging and reigning are inseparable duties of a king or ruler. That the saints also take part in judgment is underscored by Paul in 1 Corinthians 6:2-3: “Do you not know that the saints will judge the world? … 3 Do you not know that we shall judge angels?” (NRSV, cf. 1 Peter 4:5; 2 Timothy 4:1; Luke 22:30).

The process of judgment in which believers participate culminates in the destruction of the lost in the lake of fire, on earth, at the end of the millennium. There is only one lake of fire and it consumes its victims at the same time. To this lake of fire the beast and the false prophet are cast (in 19:20 this is depicted proleptically). Into this fire the devil is cast after his post-millennial release, if for a brief time (20:3), and after he attempts to deceive the nations (20:8) once again. He leads the nations to attack the camp of the saints and the beloved city (20:9a) – the New Jerusalem, at which time fire comes from heaven and consumes them (20:9b). It is plausible that the attack by the beast and by the kings of the earth on the rider of the white horse which leads to the formers’ capture and execution in the lake of fire (19:19, 20) could be the same event in which Satan gathers the nations to attack the camp of the saints (20:7-10). The same event is identified in Rev 19:19, 20 and is further described in Rev 20:7-10. This is the same lake of fire into which are cast all the lost, for whom it constitutes the second death (20:14, 15; 21:8). Thus the lake of fire is identified as the second death.

Conclusion

From the foregoing observations in the text of Rev 20, it becomes clear that judgment is the main function of the millennium. This phase of judgment, John tells us, involves or at least continues the opening of books. It is as if those whose names are written in the book of life are given a chance to confirm their place in God’s kingdom and why some are lost. However, the millennium is not only about judgment. Christ’s coming marks the beginning of the reward for believers. The raising of the dead in Christ, and the changing and the carrying away of the living saints to meet the Lord in the air is the realization and beginning of eternal life. It is as though the saints are on a thousand year vacation in heaven after their Christ-purchased victory against evil. The millennium marks the onset of eternity while it is also a continuation of judgment, to be concluded with eternal finality at the end of the thousand years. This function of the millennium accords with another commonly recognized literary device in the book of Revelation, which Stefanovic calls spring boarding.¹⁸ In this literary technique, a passage at the end of series summarizes what precedes and introduces what follows. Similarly, the millennium continues and concludes the process of judgment on the one hand, and introduces eternity on the other.

And, correctly understood, in its heavenly provenance, the millennium functions as the eschatological fulcrum around which we may plot the final events (Rev 15-19) more precisely than would be possible without Rev 20, in terms of pre-millennial, millennial, and post-millennial events. Pre-millennial events include the conflict with the beast (Rev 14) and the end of probation (Rev 15).¹⁹ This is followed by the plague-punishments on worshippers of the beast, as judgments and destruction begin to fall on earthly powers and forces of deception (chs. 16-18, while threatening the believers – hence the tribulation, cf. Dan 12). Christ comes with the clouds with trumpet sound and angels (1 Thes 4:13-18; Rev 19:11-16). The tribes of the earth mourn on account of him (1:7), the living unbelievers hide in rocks and caves to be hid from the wrath of Christ (seated on his throne, Rev 6:12-17). There are earthquakes, and other cataclysmic phenomena (16:17-21), dead believers are raised immortal (first resurrection, 1 Cor 15:12-58) and living believers are changed and caught up with the resurrected believers and together meet the Lord in the air. Christ destroys all unbelievers found alive and destroys earthly powers (19:17-18; 2 Thes 1:5-10).²⁰ The rest of the dead do not come to life till a thousand years are ended (Rev 20:5, 6). Christ and saints ascend to heaven (John 14:1-7). The millennium begins. The earth is left barren, an abyss. Satan and his angels are confined to the barren earth for a thousand years with no one to deceive (20:1-3). In heaven, Christ is reigning with his followers for a thousand years (20:4-6). Judgment of the unbelieving dead (11:18) continues in heaven. “Reigning” has the element of judgment (given the authority to judge, Rev 20:4) as the saints are satisfied that God is just in his ways (15:2-4), in his judgment for those who are saved – because they relied on Christ’s merits and therefore their names are in the book of life, and in judgment for those who are lost (books are opened, 20:11-13); and so the saved sing the song of Moses and of the Lamb (15:2-4); among them here on Mt Zion are the 144,000 (14:1-5), and the great multitude (7:9-17) who are clearly in heaven. The 144,000 are also clearly in heaven as John hears their voice coming from heaven from where they sing a new song before the throne, and before the living creatures and before the elders (14:2, 3). The thousand-year period in heaven is part of the judgment process (it is a part of the Day of the LORD), in which he is allowing the believers to participate (20:4-6); and is an integral part of the establishment of the kingdom of God. No wonder the rest of the NT other than Revelation portrays the kingdom of God as a unity without distinguishing between that kingdom in heaven and in the new earth. At end of the thousand years, the New Jerusalem descends with Christ and the redeemed, in it (Rev 20:9; 21). The wicked, some of who have been dead for a thousand years are raised (second resurrection, 20:5). These two resurrections do not contradict John 5:28-29; Acts 24:15 which amillennialists cite to show the concurrence of final events. Satan attempts to deceive them again to attack the city of the saints (20:9). Fire descends and consumes Satan (20:10), the beast, the false prophet, all the unbelievers in what is described as the lake of fire (20:10, 14, 15) which destroys sin and sinners forever (2 Pet 3:3-14). Even death and hades, the last enemy to be defeated (1 Cor 15:24-26) is cast into the lake of fire (20:14). The earth is made new (a new heaven and new earth, Rev 21-22:7). The saints reign with Christ on earth (Rev 5:10), as Christ’s eternal (Davidic) kingdom continues into eternity (21-22).

References

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Strand, Kenneth. “Chiastic Structure and Some Motifs in the Book of Revelation.” Andrews University Seminary Studies 16.2 (1978): 401-408.

Strimple, Robert B. “Amillennialism.” Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond. Counterpoints. Edited by Darrell L. Bock. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999): 83-129.

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