Mark Tabata’s Weekday Devotionals:
Thursday March 5 2026
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1 Corinthians 15:23-28-But each one in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, afterward those who are Christ’s at His coming. 24 Then comes the end, when He delivers the kingdom to God the Father, when He puts an end to all rule and all authority and power. 25 For He must reign till He has put all enemies under His feet. 26 The last enemy that will be destroyed is death. 27 For “HE HAS PUT ALL THINGS UNDER HIS FEET.” But when He says “all things are put under Him,” it is evident that He who put all things under Him is excepted. 28 Now when all things are made subject to Him, then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all.
One of the many passages of Scripture which provide comfort and encouragement to Christians is found near the end of the incredible Book of Revelation. The Apostle John writes:
Revelation 20:1-6-Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. 2 He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal on him, so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished. But after these things he must be released for a little while. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat on them, and judgment was committed to them. Then I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for their witness to Jesus and for the word of God, who had not worshiped the beast or his image, and had not received his mark on their foreheads or on their hands. And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. 6 Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection. Over such the second death has no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.
The Bible here tells us about a “Millennium” or 1, 000 year reign of Christ. There is much in this passage that we will not unpack in this present study due to brevity. However, we are going to take a careful look at the subject of “when” this Millennium occurs.
Through the years, there have been three main suggestions as to the timing of this Millennium, all of them focused in relation to the Second Coming of our Lord.
The most popular theory in our day is known as “premillennialism.” Those who hold to this theory believe that the Second Coming of Christ will occur before the Millennium. Thus, premillennialism means that Christ returns “before the thousand years.”
Another theory is known as “postmillennialism.” This is the idea that the Second Coming of Christ occurs after the thousand years. It is believed that there will be a great period of prosperity and spread of the Gospel in the world which will then be followed by the Second Coming. Hence, Christ is said to return “after the thousand years.”
Still another view is known as “amillennialism.” This holds to the notion that there will be no literal millennium, but that this is a figure of speech denoting the entire Christian age from the First to the Second Coming of Christ.
Before looking closely at the text of Revelation to seek an answer as to when the Millennium, it should be noted that each of the three theories mentioned here have strengths and weaknesses, and there have been Christians throughout the history of the Christian age who have held to each of these views. Perhaps in a future study we will delve more into that subject.
Now, as to which of the theories listed above is more in line with the timing of the Millennium, we need only to look at how the Book of Revelation is structured.
When John writes Revelation, he does so in the context of the Old Testament Scriptures. We see this in numerous ways, but especially from the ample citations and allusions that he employs in Revelation from the Old Testament. Of the 404 verses in the Book of Revelation, it is estimated that there are at least 348 references to the Old Testament. In Revelation alludes to the Old Testament in the following ways:
From Pentateuch: 57 References.
From The Books Of Hebrew History: 11 Times
From Psalms And Proverbs: 34 Times
From The Major Prophets: 197 Times
From The Minor Prophets: 38 Times
With that in mind, there is a certain type of prophet repetition that is used throughout the Old Testament commonly known as “parallelism.” Carver illustrates:
“The view I hold may be classed as the resumptive method. Dean Alford suggests that certain series of the Revelation “are not continuous but resumptive: . . . each evolving something which was not in the former, and putting the course of God’s Providence in a different light.”[ 266] All recognize that Daniel is written like this, and all recognize certain similarities between Daniel and the Revelation. I maintain that the two books are also similar in that certain portions are parallel to certain other portions. Several reasons can be given for this conclusion, but only one will be discussed. The fact that the final judgment is brought into focus several times in different portions of the Revelation leaves little room for doubt about the parallelism of the book. Efforts to make these judgment scenes apply to separate judgments held at different times fail of their objective. Portions of three of these scenes are quoted below. The first is from chapter 6 which is considered as a table of contents, summary, or brief outline of what is to follow. It ends with apocalyptic upheavals in nature which accompany pronouncements of judgments, then states that men hid themselves in dens and in the rocks of the mountains; And said to the mountains and rocks, Fall on us, and hide us from the face of him that sitteth on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb: For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand ( Rev. 6: 15-17)? Note that the judge sits on a throne. We affirm this can be no other judgment than the great white throne judgment of Revelation 20. Also note that it refers to the “great day of his wrath.” This can be nothing other than God’s final judgment on evil doers at the end of the age. The next passage affirms that both the righteous and the wicked will be judged at a single judgment. And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth (Rev. 11: 18). Then at the close of one of the series of the Revelation is found another word picture of the final judgment. It is affirmed without fear of contradiction that this judgment scene is the same as that found in chapters 6 and 20. That the judgment in Revelation 20 is the final judgment is admitted by all. However, most Premillennialists deny that it includes the righteous. This denial cannot be supported exegetically. Parts of the text read: And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away . . . . And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened . . . and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books . . . and they were judged every man according to their works (Rev. 20: 11-13).” (Everett I. Carver, When Jesus Comes Again, 6598-6635 (Kindle Edition): Prestonsburg, KY: Reformation Publishers).
We see examples of this kind of parallelism several times in the Old Testament. We could mention the amazing “Servant Songs” of Isaiah, the “abomination of desolation” texts in Jeremiah and Daniel, the four world empire prophecies in Daniel, the four horsemen of Zechariah, etc. Each of these described future events using a specific set of symbols, and then repeated those major themes again utilizing a different set of symbols.
So, when we look carefully at Revelation, we see seven visions. Each one begins with the First Coming, proceeds through the Christian age, and ultimately ends with the Second Coming. Several themes are repeated and expounded upon in each of the seven visions (persecution of believers on Earth, safety and activity of deceased believers in Paradise, increase of demonic activity on Earth, etc.), and then the next vision repeats the same themes while repeating and expanding upon them from the preceding cycle. In each, the Second Coming is the final culminating event of the vision, which is then followed by the next vision, starting over with the First Coming.
Now, apply that to Revelation 20, and we see clearly “when” the millennium takes place. At the end of Revelation 19, John concludes the sixth vision with the Second Coming of Jesus (Revelation 19:11-21). In accordance with the same pattern used all throughout the Book, this means that the events of Revelation 20:1-6 (i.e., the Millennium) are describing the First Coming and the Christian age.
The Millennium is the Christian age.
During the Church age, Satan has been “bound” in the sense that he is no longer able to completely deceive entire nations, thanks to the Good News of Jesus Christ. This does not mean that he is completely and literally locked away in Hades, since he is shown in the other visions to be actively cast to the Earth and having great wrath after Jesus’ First Coming (cf. Revelation 12:1-12). However, thanks to what the Lord accomplished at Calvary, his oppressive and possessing on humanity hold is broken when they obey the Gospel and become Christians (cf. Colossians 2:11-15).
Yes, Satan will increase in power in the world throughout the Christian age and as we near the Second Coming (Revelation 20:7-8), whenever that will be (Matthew 24:36). However, God’s Word has shown us of these events so that we can be ready and “suit up” each day as we engage the forces of the enemy and proclaim Jesus’ Word to the lost (Ephesians 6:10-18; Mark 16:15-16).
The Christian age is the Millennium, and is a reminder to us that we are victors through Him Who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood (Revelation 1:5).
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.