Book of Revelation: Perspectives on the Millennial Kingdom

The Book of Revelation For Dummies

The exact meaning of the Millenium, the 1,000 year reign that John speaks of in Revelation 20, is a centuries-old debate in Christian circles. One problem comes from the different interpretations concerning the meaning of the Millenium. The following chart can help you sort out these respective viewpoints:

Category	Premillennialism	Amillennialism	Postmillennialism
Beginning of the Millennium	Jesus's Second Coming	Jesus's resurrection	When a majority of the of the Millennium world's population converts to Jesus
Duration	1,000 years or a long period of time	Undetermined; lasts until Jesus's Second	Undetermined; lasts until Jesus's Second
Jesus's type of reign	Physical, earthly	Spiritual (through conversion)	Spiritual (through conversion)
Tribulation (period of suffering before Jesus's Second Coming)	Literal 7-year period	Brief period before Jesus's Second	Brief period before Jesus's Second
Timing of the rapture (transport of believers to heaven)	Before the Tribulation, halfway through, or after it	Occurs as part of Jesus's Second Coming	Occurs as part of Jesus's Second Coming

About This Article

About the book author:

Richard Wagner is the inventor and architect of the award-winning NetObjects ScriptBuilder.

Dr. Larry R. Helyer: Larry is Professor of Biblical Studies at Taylor University in Upland, Indiana. He received his doctorate in New Testament from Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California. He pastored Baptist churches in Portland, Oregon, and Sun Valley, California, before moving to the Midwest and teaching biblical studies at Taylor University for 28 years. He has taught a wide range of Bible courses covering both the Old and New Testaments and Jewish literature of the Second Temple. Larry has traveled extensively in the land of the Bible and lived in Israel for a year during his student days at Jerusalem University College.
Larry is author of two books, Yesterday, Today, and Forever: The Continuing Relevance of the Old Testament and Exploring Jewish Literature of the Second Temple Period: A Guide for New Testament Students. Larry has authored numerous journal and dictionary articles on biblical and theological subjects and has just finished a book on New Testament theology. He was the initial translator of 2 Samuel for the Holman Christian Standard Bible.