What Preterists Get Wrong About Revelation 20:1-6 (The Millennium)

In Revelation 20:1-6, we see mentions of Satan being bound, Jesus reigning, and the first resurrection — all of which are connected to the Millennium, or a thousand-year period. Preterists see this passage as symbolic and historical, often connecting it to events like the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. Instead of looking for a future, literal reign, they focus on how these events are spiritually and currently fulfilled. Some key points include:

1. The Binding of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3):
   • Preterists understand the binding of Satan as symbolizing the restraining of Satan’s power over God’s people through Christ’s victory in His first coming and the subsequent establishment of the church. The binding is seen as a spiritual event that began at Christ’s death, resurrection, and ascension, when Satan’s power to deceive and oppose the progress of God’s kingdom was limited.
2. The Thousand Years (Revelation 20:2-6):
   • The phrase “thousand years” is often seen as a symbol of the current age, spanning from Jesus Christ’s first arrival to the fall of the Jewish system in A.D. 70. During this time, the gospel gradually reached many nations, and Satan’s power was greatly limited, although his final defeat is still yet to come.
3. The Reign of the Saints (Revelation 20:4-6):
   • Preterists see the reign of the saints as a spiritual and ongoing experience. They believe the “first resurrection” is about believers experiencing new life in Christ—something that happens when they convert and unite with Him. For them, the saints reign with Christ spiritually through the church. This reign is understood as fulfilled during the Christian era after Jerusalem’s destruction, rather than as a future earthly kingdom. The “thousand years” is seen as a symbol representing the entire time from Christ’s first coming until the end of the world.

Dispensational Response to Revelation 20:1-6

Dispensationalists, taking a consistently literal and futurist interpretation, see Revelation 20:1-6 as describing just what it says, a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on earth, often called the Millennium, following His second coming. The key points of the dispensational interpretation are:

1. The Binding of Satan (Revelation 20:1-3):
   • Dispensationalists interpret the binding of Satan as a future event that occurs at the beginning of the Millennial Kingdom. At Christ’s second coming, Satan will be literally bound and cast into the Abyss, preventing him from deceiving the nations during the thousand-year reign. The “thousand years” is understood as a literal, future period during which Christ will reign on earth, and Satan will have no power to hinderChrist’s rule or the spread of the gospel.

2. The Thousand Years (Revelation 20:2-6):
   • The “thousand years” is a literal period in which Christ will rule from Jerusalem. Saints who have been resurrected will serve as rulers with Christ, governing the nations during this time. Dispensationalists see this reign as a time of peace and prosperity, in which God’s promises to Israel (particularly the land promises) are fulfilled literally.
3. The Reign of the Saints (Revelation 20:4-6):
   • Dispensationalists believe that the reign of the saints with Christ refers to a literal, earthly reign during the Millennium, where resurrected believers will rule with Christ over the earth. The first resurrection is seen as the bodily resurrection of believers at the beginning of the Millennium, and the second resurrection occurs at the end of the Millennium.

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Key Differences Between Preterist and Dispensational Interpretations

Aspect	Preterist Interpretation	Dispensational Interpretation
The Binding of Satan	Symbolizes the restraint of Satan’s powerthrough Christ’s victory and the establishment of the church.	Refers to a literal binding of Satan at the beginning of the Millennium, preventing him from deceiving the nations.
The Thousand Years	Represents the current age from Christ’s first coming to the end of the Jewish system in A.D. 70.	Refers to a literal thousand-year period after the second coming of Christ, during which He will rule on earth.
The Reign of the Saints	Symbolizes the spiritual reign of believers with Christ during the church age.	Refers to the literal reign of resurrected believerswith Christ on earth during the Millennium.
The First Resurrection	Refers to a spiritual resurrection that occurs when individuals come to faith in Christ.	Refers to the literal resurrection of believers at the beginning of the Millennium.
The Second Resurrection	Not specifically addressed by preterism, as it is seen as part of the final judgment.	Refers to the bodily resurrection of the wicked at the end of the Millennium, followed by the final judgment.

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Summary

The preterist interpretation of Revelation 20:1-6 sees the binding of Satan as symbolizing the restriction of his power through Christ’s victory and the establishment of the church. The thousand years represent the current church age, in which believers spiritually reign with Christ. The first resurrection is understood as the spiritual resurrection of believers who are united with Christ, while the second resurrection is not specifically focused on but is associated with the final judgment.

In contrast, dispensationalists interpret Revelation 20:1-6 as referring to a literal thousand-year period following the second coming of Christ. The binding of Satan is viewed as a future event that will prevent Satan from deceiving the nations during the Millennium. The first resurrection is understood as the bodily resurrection of believers at the start of the Millennium, and the second resurrection will be the resurrection of the wicked at the end of the Millennium, leading to their final judgment.

These differences highlight the contrast between preterism’s symbolic and historical approach to Revelation and dispensationalism’s literal and futurist view of the events described in this passage.