Some Baptists believe that “after his return, Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years.” They believe that this kingdom is “an extension of the era of the kingdom that had stopped and was interrupted due to the lack of faith of the Jews in the time of the apostles.” The nature of this rule, which “begins with the coming of Christ with his saints,” is that “Christ himself will be king,” and that “Jerusalem is the capital of his kingdom” (and he will not be on earth, but above it). As for the events that will accompany the end of this kingdom, they are: “Apostasy and disobedience, the annihilation of Satan, judgment before the great white throne, a new earth and a new heaven” (Herschel Hobbes, Baptist Doctrine and Message, p. 175; Finley M. Graham, Systematic Theology, p. 314-317; Awad Simon, Priesthood, pages 107, 152).
Before responding to this belief, it must be recalled that the “My Parish” newsletter, in the context of responding to the “Sabbathists” heresy, also devoted an article entitled “The Millennium Kingdom” (46/1999). The reader can return to it, to find out some points that we will not discuss here (1).
Believing in what we said about the “Millennium Rule” is, in fact, a misreading of what was stated in the Revelation of the Apostle John, which is, in essence, one of the symbolic books of the Bible. Therefore, we find that conveying what is stated in it and clarifying its meaning with the aim of refuting every strange claim is necessary and useful. The Apostle says: “And I saw an angel descending from heaven, having in his hand the key to the bottomless pit and a great chain. And he seized the dragon, the ancient serpent, which is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years and cast him into the bottomless pit. Then he closed and sealed him, so that he would not deceive the nations until the thousand years were over, and he must have no more.” That would be released for a little while. And I saw thrones, and people sat on them, and judgment was entrusted to them. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and the word of God, and who had not worshiped the beast or his image and had not received the mark on their foreheads or on their hands, returned to life, and reigned with Christ for a thousand years. As for the rest of the dead, they did not return to life before the end of a thousand years. This is the first resurrection. Happy and holy is he who had a share in the first resurrection. Over these, the second death has no authority, but they will be priests of God and Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” (20: 1-6). What insiders know is that this passage has had several interpretations throughout history. We will summarize this in two:
1- The first It indicates that there will be an era in history that will be placed under the shadow of Jesus Christ. God will show on earth all the blessings that He has prepared for man from the beginning. The proponents of this interpretation saw an earthly continuation of the prophecies of the Old Testament, “a continuation of history in history,” whereby our history defines a time in which the entire universe acknowledges the sovereignty of God (this interpretation was rejected by the Church).
2- The second (The Church accepted it) He sees, in the thousand years, a symbol of the present historical era. The thousand years were chosen, and they indicate the day of God (2 Peter 3:8; Psalm 91:4), in the context of the encounter between the first Adam and the second Adam (the Messiah). While Adam did not live this period (a thousand years), that is, he did not complete God’s day with God, and he fell into sin and died, Christ, the second Adam, came to correct this fall and failure, and to inaugurate, through his resurrection, God’s final day.
What the Baptists mention contradicts the teachings of the Holy Church. This, alone, is a complete response. If we consider the rejected interpretation that we explained above, it is no secret to us that the Baptists, without any command, quote what the orthodox community has refuted. They pick up on the mistake thrown in the trash can of history, and say it is correct! This does not mean that they do not have personal responsibility. Whoever opens graves, the smell of death will attach to him! In fact, there are several matters in this transfer that must be stopped, even if quickly.
The first is their belief that this millennium rule is an extension of the age of the kingdom that was interrupted due to the lack of faith of the Jews in the time of the apostles. This is a scribble, and we do not know what its written support is! Who is this insignificant God whose kingdom is cut short by the Jews’ disbelief?!
Secondly, they say that Christ, in this ruling, “will be a king.” If we combine these two matters, it is permissible to ask them a question about the reign of Christ between the time of the apostles and the time of this reign. In their opinion, is Christ not a king in the course of history? What is their document? Are they based on the holy books? Did they read carefully this passage we quoted from the Book of Revelation? Could they point us to a site that supports what they are saying? Did they not notice that the Messenger was speaking about the kingdom of those who were martyred for the love of Jesus? Christ is king. This is something that cannot be held back by time. The call of the Messenger, shown in the passage of the Book of Revelation, is a call to sincerity, so that the saved may be able to reign with Christ the King. But if their intention is that our present time is full of kings, then their horrific mistake would be their recognition of a king other than the Christ of God!
The third is their saying that Jerusalem “is the capital of his kingdom” and “it will not be on the earth, but above it,” which assumes two questions. The first is which Jerusalem are they talking about: earthly or heavenly? What is the meaning of their saying, “but above it?” In fact, nothing is as funny as this talk. They know that “heaven and earth will pass away,” and they speak, in a vague way, about “the capital of his kingdom”! In doing so, they contradict the clarity of the book, which revealed that Christ’s kingdom resides in Him (Ephesians 2:6). That is, in other words, Christ himself is the king and the kingdom.
The fourth is about the order of events that will accompany the end of the king. We will not repeat these events. Suffice it to show that Baptists did not understand the symbolism of the Book of Revelation of John. In fact, the Holy Scriptures do not allow the arrangement of events that precede, or accompany, the Lord’s final coming. The day of the Lord will come like a thief. This is what the book clearly states. The believer must always prepare for this coming (Matthew 24:43 and 44), and that is enough.
By completing God's plan, the Lord Jesus opened his last day. From now on, we are called to live in accordance with this saving truth. Every expectation that does not carry this meaning is a distortion of what the Lord did for our salvation. The millennium rule is the rule of God existing in our time, so that we may be faithful to our King who alone deserves to rule over us now and until the end of eternity.
(1) To review the article, see the network library. We would also like to note that this topic - and other topics - you will find more than one reference on more than one page of the network. For example, but not limited to, also read about the Millennium Kingdom: Network Library >> Increase Orthodoxy >> Chapter Twenty-Six - Our True Homeland… (the network)