Jesus Is Coming Again
Chapter 5
Millennium (Latin) is the same as Chiliad (Greek),
and both mean a thousand years. Both terms stand for the
doctrine of a future era of righteous government upon the
earth, to last a thousand years.
Jewish writers throughout the Talmud hold that this
Millennium will be chiefly characterized by the deliverance
of the Jews from all their enemies, recovery of Palestine
and the literal reign of their Messiah in unequaled splendor therein.
Pre-millennial Christians hold much in common with
the Jews, but also that our Lord Jesus Christ is the
Messiah; that He is to return to the earth and overthrow
Satan, all ungodly government and lawlessness, and establish a kingdom of righteousness, having the Church,
with Himself as sovereign, Jerusalem as the capital, regathered and converted Israel as the center, and all nations included in a universal, world-wide kingdom of pure
and blessed government.
Post-millennialists, for the most part, hold that the present preaching of the gospel will result in the conversion
of the world and usher in a golden era of righteousness
and a government of justice and peace to last a thousand
years, after which the Lord will return for a "general
judgment" and introduction of an eternal state. It is
well to have these distinctive views of the Millennium
clearly in mind.
Contrary to the post-millennial view, the literal reign
of Christ, with His saints, for a thousand years is plainly
stated in the twentieth chapter of Revelation. Six times
is the expression "A thousand years," repeated. Verses
2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7. The teaching is so plain that "wayfairing men shall not err therein." Isa. 35:8.
But those who oppose this "blessed hope," of the pre-millennial coming of our Lord usually begin their arguments
by the assertion that the doctrine of the Millennium is nowhere taught in Scripture except in this 20th chapter of
Revelation, and that the symbolical character of this book
forbids our founding any doctrine upon it. The superficial character of such a statement is glaringly apparent
from the fact that the Jews had fully developed the doctrine of the Millennium as the teaching of the Old Testament scriptures long before the Book of Revelation or
any portion of the New Testament was written. It was
the view most frequently expressed in the Talmud that
"the Messianic kingdom would last for one thousand
years," and this was commonly believed among the Jews.
It is easy to discern upon what they founded the doctrine.
It is the Sabbath of God's weeks.
The division of time into sevens, or weeks, permeates
the Scriptures. A fundamental enactment of the Mosaic
law was the keeping of the Sabbath, Ex. 20 :8. This was
based upon God's great rest day in Gen. 2. Upon this is
founded not only the week of days, but also the week of
weeks unto Pentecost (Lev. 23:15-16); the week of
months, with the Atonement and seven days' feast of
Tabernacles in the seventh month (Lev. 23:27-28); the
week of years, ending with the Sabbatic year (Lev. 25:4);
the week of weeks of years, ending with the seventh Sabbatic year, and followed by the year of Jubilee (Lev. 25:.
8-12).
Even the duration of Israel's great punishments was
based upon this law of the sevens. Their captivity in
Babylon was for seventy years. Jer. 25 :11-12; Dan. 9 :2.
The great period revealed to Daniel (Ch. 9), unto the
coming of the Messiah was divided into seventy sevens.
The unequaled period of Israel's punishment and dispersion in the lands of their enemies, prophesied by Moses,
is, with four-fold emphasis, specified to be for seven times.
(Jer. 26:18, 21, 24, 28). This sacred seven is woven into
the law3, life and history of the chosen people, with whom
God established His theocracy. And notwithstanding all
of Israel's rebellion and sinfulness and consequent chastisement, there still remains for them and the whole world
a keeping of the Sabbath. Heb. 4:9 margin. With God
a day is as a thousand years (Psa. 90), and a thousand
Years as one day. 2 Pet. 3 :8.
Upon this rock of the sacred sevens we can consistently,
with the Jews, base our conclusion that as we have the
scriptural week, week of weeks, week of months, week of
years, week of weeks of years, week of seventy years, week
of times, week of olams or aions (ages), see page 222,
so we also have the great week of Millenniums. Six thousand year days of labor and then the Millennium, or
blessed seventh thousand years of rest.
Shine on, 0 blessed Revelation of God, and the Lord
stamp upon our hearts the warning that, "If any man
shall take away from the words of the book of this prophesy, God shall take away his part from the Tree of Life."
Rev, 22:19.
