WHEN A THOUSAND YEARS IS NOT A THOUSAND YEARS
Henry V. Mc Nulty
Author, Founder of Eternal Kingdom Seminary
P.O. Box 4691, Palm Desert, CA, 92261
Henry McNulty spent his early years living in the way of the business world and he is spending the remaining balance “about my Father’s business”. Accordingly, the last forty odd years have been spent on historic and biblical study into how and why the bible has been modified and misinterpreted in order to deviate from its original message. McNulty is a native of Southern California and still resides there.
Revelation twenty is a treasure chest of eschatological information. Premillennial theology demands that reference to time, specifically a thousand years, must be taken literally. For reference, we will quote an article in “Got Questions. Org” dated 8/27/2020 as follows:
The millennial kingdom is the title given to the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. Some seek to interpret the 1,000 in an allegorical manner. They understand the 1,000 years as merely a figurative way of saying “a long period of time,” not a physical reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. However, six times in Revelation 20:2-7, the millennial kingdom is specifically said to be 1,000 years in length. If God wished to communicate a “long period of time”, He could have done so without explicity and repeatedly mentioning an exact time frame.
Now, returning to the thousand years, as we on earth understand it, there is no time in heaven. How do we know? The Bible tells us there is no night there. (Revelation 21:25/22:5). Jesus is the eternal light. Conversely, we know that on earth there is a morning and evening each twenty four hour day. In Genesis 1:5 we are told the evening and the morning were the first day. This was repeated for the remaining balance of days in the week. Daniel 8:14 RSV tells us that there are, two thousand and three hundred evenings and mornings in the prophecy, to make up the twenty three hundred days. Any student will agree there is no measurable time in heaven. However on earth, the sun maintains a twenty four hour rhythm, so we have a morning and evening for every day. For means of clarity let’s use H thousand for infinite heavenly time. Then we can use E thousand for an earthly indication of time.
There are some theologians who insist that, the thousand years in Revelation chapter twenty, means a long amount of unknown time. Others opine you must take it literally. Their problem is that no one seems to provide ample proof. Perhaps both sides of the controversy should revisit their grade school physics class for a better understanding. This is not an opinion to be debated, but actual physical facts.
While you have your Bibles open, and are pondering chapter twenty, let’s consider what some Bibles tell us. The Revised Standard Version (RSV) and New International Version (NIV) preface chapter twenty with “The Binding of Satan”. Indeed that is true. Satan is partially bound for a H thousand years. Please note that I said a H thousand years. This is a heavenly infinite amount of time. Also I said partially bound. Let me explain what I mean by being partially bound.
Revelation 20:1-3 tells us Satan is bound so he can deceive the nations no more. It doesn’t say he is totally bound. In fact, in 1st Peter 5:8 KJV tells us; “Be sober be vigilant ; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.”
But what is he bound from? Satan is bound so he can’t keep the saints from teaching the gospel as described in Matthew 28:19+. Some call this the great commission. This same binding would also allow the two witnesses to fulfill their mission. The two witnesses are discussed in an additional article anon.
In Luke 10:1+ KJV, Jesus appoints seventy disciples and sends them out to preach the gospel. When they return, they tell Jesus even the devils are subject unto us through your name. Jesus responds rejoice not, that the spirits are subject to you; but rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We are still in Revelation twenty and discussing a thousand years. Some theologians are telling us that millennium is Latin for a thousand. Accordingly, we can use the term millennium instead of a thousand. Therefore, millennium can mean either a literal thousand and/or a thousand years. Somehow the appendage “years” became optional. But why the confusion when millennium isn’t even in the Bible. Why not let God’s word stand as written as a thousand years.
Let’s proceed with the partial binding of Satan. If we review Revelation 20:1-3, we can visualize the description of the angel coming from heaven with a key and chain to bind Satan. This is obviously a word picture to symbolize the binding of Satan and not a literal means. I will suggest another way we could figuratively bind Satan. We all know that Satan’s best weapon is sin. If we could take away Satan’s weapon of sin he would be bound. But how could we do that? Good news! It has already been done. It was at the cross when Jesus died for those who believed and obeyed. The blood of Jesus made the believers sinless.
The binding of Satan was done at the cross in circa 33 AD, and the premillennials say you must take the thousand years literally. Then the time of the premillennial calendar ran out in 1033AD. But I am reminded that we are discussing an H thousand years, which is infinite. And so it is.
Using scripture, previously specified such as Luke 1:32-33, to establish that Christ is going to return to earth and will establish himself as king (scripture reference?) in Jerusalem is nonsense. The same scriptures used to support those facts refute them. I.E., Jesus will spiritually occupy the throne of God and David in heaven forever. Jerusalem is not mentioned. Christ doesn’t need to return to earth to establish his heavenly kingdom. Referring to Isaiah 66:1 LB as follows should remove any doubt:
Heaven is my throne and the earth my footstool; what temple can you build for me as good as that?
Blessings