Making Sense of Revelation 20

A PRETERIST VIEW

In Revelation 20 we find the first and second death, the first resurrection and an implied (though not specifically stated) second resurrection, and the “millennium.” And then we find the “Great White Throne” judgment.

Thesis: The events of Revelation 20 occurred between AD 30 and AD 70, the transition period between the initiation of the New Covenant and the final dissolution of the Old Covenant.

First Resurrection: Salvation as Spiritual Resurrection

Let’s consider the first death and first resurrection and the “reigning with Christ” motif. There are two types of death described in the New Testament―spiritual death and bodily death. It follows that there are two types of resurrections. In Ephesians 2:1-9 and Colossians 2:12-14 we see Paul describing how Christians were dead in their sins, but made alive in Christ, and raised with Him in faith (cf. John 5:24). That’s spiritual death and resurrection, thus salvation. Similar language is used in Revelation 20:4―”They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.” Notice that this statement is in the past tense. Perhaps Jesus’ “born again” statement in John 3 (cf. 1 Peter 1:22-23) is about the same thing.

There is a parallel in Revelation 6:9-17, in which the slain saints were given white robes of righteousness and royalty and were told to “rest a little longer” until the great day of God’s wrath would come to avenge the blood of the righteous. The phrases “reigning with Christ” and “given white robes of righteousness” are related metaphorical expressions. It is the New Testament image for the eternal glory that Christians receive through Christ―thus salvation.

Paul was speaking of believers living on earth, while John was, seemingly, honoring believers in their spiritual bodies (soul-spirits) living in hades. Given the highly symbolic nature of Revelation, it is not much of a stretch to understand that those beheaded represent all persecuted saints, living and dead. Or it could also be that these statements are a reflection of their previous salvation while living on earth. I don’t think that these deceased people were in heaven since hades had not been abolished quite yet. While some people think that “reigning with Christ” is talking about heaven, in the context of these passages it is really about salvation and elevation of status in God’s eyes. Notice that those in the first resurrection “reigned with Christ” for only a thousand years. Why only a thousand years if they were in heaven? See also Romans 5:17, Revelation 5:10; 20:6; 22:5.¹

Verse 20:5a Anomaly

There is an anomaly in Rev 20:5a – “The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.” This sentence is not found in the oldest and most reliable manuscripts, including the Codex Sinaiticus and the oldest Aramaic (Syriac) manuscript, called the Khabouris Codex.

This spurious sentence is probably some ancient preacher’s personal notes which he had written between the lines. Then they were likely moved into the main text by later copyists.

Without 5a here’s how the text reads: “. . . They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power.” Now you have a coherent statement, that does not place the first resurrection a “thousand years” into the far-distant future. So those who accepted Christ are saved in the “first [spiritual] resurrection” and will not die physically at the second death (physical death) but live on temporarily in hades then permanently in heaven after hades was abolished in AD 70. This is key to understanding the first resurrection. Those who are saved will never die (John 3:16; John 11:25-26).

Second Resurrection: Hades Gave Up the Physically Dead

Now we can see how 20:13 is the Second Resurrection. Hades was abolished and the soul-spirits of the faithful left hades―to be in heaven forever. The damned were also judged and sent to their eternal destiny―either eternal conscious punishment or annihilation, depending on your understanding of Gehenna. Without the 5a sentence, much of the confusion disappears.

Key to understanding the rest of Revelation 20 is placing the famous “Great White Throne” judgment recorded in Revelation 20:11-15 in its proper time period. This refers to the Second Coming events of AD 70 described elsewhere in the Bible. Death was permanently destroyed (verse 14) at the end of the millennium, which is a parallel to 1 Corinthians 15:19-26, 54-56 where Paul said the last enemy, death, would be put down at Christ’s Second Coming. Revelation 22:12 confirms that the judgment was to be at the soon coming of Christ in AD 70 (cf. Matthew 16:27-28; 24:26-34; 26:64). As put by James Stuart Russell,

“There is no reason to doubt that the judgment scene depicted here [Revelation 20:11-15] is identical with that described by our Lord in Matthew 25:31-46. We have the same ‘throne of glory,’ the same gathering of all the nations, the same discrimination of the judged according to their works, and the same ‘everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’ . . . It follows that it is not the ‘end of the world,’ but that which is so frequently predicted as accompanying the end of the age, or termination of the Jewish dispensation. That great consummation is always represented as a judgment-epoch. It is the time of the Parousia, the coming of Christ in glory to vindicate and reward His faithful servants, and to judge and destroy His enemies. There is a remarkable unity and consistency in the teachings of Scripture on this subject.” (from The Parousia)

Martyr Vindication

There is another aspect to all of this―vindication of the martyrs (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16; 2 Thessalonians 1:5-10; 2:1-2; Revelation 6:9-11; 20:4). Jesus told us that the avenging of the blood of all the righteous ever shed on earth would fall upon his generation (Matthew 23:34-36; cf. Revelation 16:6; 17:6; 18:24; 19:2). In Matthew 19:28 Jesus said “you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.” This must be associated with the coming judgment of Israel (“Babylon”), a major theme in Revelation (11:8; 18:10b; 21). This happened at the end of the millennium in AD 70 when God sent the Roman army as his instrument of judgment against old-covenant Israel. Thus, the mistreated saints would get vindication for their persecution by the Jews as Christ would soon stand in judgment (John 5:22; Acts 6:14).

Why the Millennium Ended in AD 70

Preterists and many futurists too see the beginning of the millennium at Christ’s first coming, probably at the cross or soon thereafter―perhaps at Pentecost. That’s when the New Covenant began. The full preterist view is that the “thousand years” of Revelation is symbolic for completeness rather than a literal thousand-year period. It is about completion of the Old Covenant order and judgment in AD 70. Here is the evidence:

1. There are over 30 time-statements in Revelation insisting that the fulfillment of its prophecies was about to happen, must shortly take place, would be soon, and the time was near (Revelation 1:1-3; 22:6-20; etc.). Revelation was written before AD 70 and the destruction of the temple―during the reign of Nero, the sixth emperor of Rome and is mostly about the first-century events (Revelation 1:9; 11:1; 17:10; etc.).
   
2. The close of the millennium was a short time away (“a little longer” per Revelation 6:11), not a long period—ending in AD 70 in the Day of the Lord (1 Thessalonians 2:13-16; 2 Thessalonians 2:1-2).
   
3. The Great White Throne Judgment of Revelation 20:11-15 happened AFTER the thousand years (Revelation 20:1-10). This judgment and Jesus coming in his kingdom would happen while some in the first century were still alive per Matthew 16:27-28; etc. This judgment was comprehensive, including judgment of the dead, but also the judgment of Old Covenant Israel (“Babylon” the Great City, i.e. Jerusalem per Revelation 11:8; 18:10) in AD 70.
   
4. The General Resurrection of the dead, i.e. the second resurrection implied in Revelation 20, was ABOUT TO HAPPEN when Paul was witnessing and writing (Acts 24:15; 2 Timothy 4:1; etc. Young’s Literal Translation). This would be fulfilled at the “time of the end” with the destruction of the temple in AD 70 (Daniel 12).
   
5. The New Heaven and New Earth of Revelation 21 was already in effect as the thousand years of Revelation 20 came to a close.
   
6. Jesus’ Parousia (“Second Coming”) happened during the lifetimes of those in first century coincident with the destruction of the temple (Matthew 10:23; 16:27-28; 24:29-34; Revelation 22:10-12; etc.)
   
7. Satan was bound at the beginning of the millennium, that he might not deceive the nations any longer (20:2). This clearly indicates that certain limitations were placed on Satan at the beginning of the millennium—that is, during Christ’s ministry. This is consistent with numerous passages such as Matthew 12:28-29; Mark 16:17; Luke 10:17-19; 11:20-22; John 12:31; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14, and 1 John 3:8—where the demons became subject to Christ during the time of his First-Coming. These passages along with Revelation 20:2 confirm that the beginning of the millennium was at that time.
   
8. Satan was defeated at the end of the millennium (20:10). Paul (Romans 16:20) and John (Revelation 12:12) both anticipated that the final crushing of Satan was near to them in time (“soon/time is short”). Therefore, the end of the millennium was near. At the Second Coming and judgment in AD 70, Christ fully implemented his power and reign (verses 10-15), fulfilling these prophecies. Satan was indeed crushed (“thrown into the lake of fire,” verse 20:10).
   
9. Peter declared that the END OF ALL THINGS and the judgment was AT HAND when he was writing (1 Peter 4:7, 17).
   
10. According to research done by Edward E. Stevens, some Jewish rabbis thought that what corresponds to the Christian millennium would be 40 years in duration. (Available from Mr. Stevens at preterist1@preterist.org.)
    
11. The Greek word usually translated a “thousand” is chilioi (Strong’s 5507). The first definition for this word is “plural of uncertain affinity.” If a literal 1,000 years was in view John would have used the word chilias (Strong’s 5505).

For more information about Revelation, see that section of my website:

https://prophecyquestions.com/category/revelation-2


Endnote:

1. The Greek word pelekizo, which is usually translated “beheaded,” does not necessarily mean literally beheaded. It can mean simply “cut off,” thus killed. The Concordant Literal New Testament translates it “executed.”