Gog and Magog and Jewish Eschatology

from Google Images

After the thousand years was complete, or in other words, after the millennium, the dragon was to be released (Revelation 20:5, 7). So, immediately after his release from prison or from the bottomless pit, the very first thing on his agenda was to deceive the nations (Revelation 20:8), at which time the Battle of Gog and Magog occurs. Most Bible students believe the nations refer to the gentiles—i.e. all nations except for the Jews. However, as I explained in a previous study[1] the nations in this context refers to the tribes of Israel or the lands of the Jews. So the dragon immediately began deceiving the Jews. If this is so, who is Gog and what is the land of Magog, and when does Gog arise to make war? The text clearly concludes that the battle or war occurs after the millennium, which, from a dispensational and premillennial worldview, gives rise to questions about the success of the so-called millennial reign of Christ:

 

The Millennium Is a Little While!

from Google Images

In the past few studies I’ve been considering those who reign with Christ for a thousand years (Revelation 20:4), or for what modern Christians call the millennium. We have seen that the period of time we understand to be the millennium is, in fact, a far shorter period of time than a literal thousand years. In this study I hope to add even more credence to that assertion, thus establishing a surer foundation for the truth that the millennium both began and ended in the first century AD.

 

The Millennial Reign with Christ

from Google Images

John tells us that he saw thrones and “they sat on them” (Revelation 20:4). Who sat on thrones? Nearly all the scholars of whom I am aware agree that those on the thrones are believers who were martyred for Christ, but I don’t agree.[1] Those sitting on thrones are the Father and Christ. John also tells us that those who had given up their lives for the Gospel had neither worshiped the beast nor his image and had not received his mark. Therefore, they reigned with Christ for 1000 years (Revelation 20:4, 6; cp. 3:21), but, what does “they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years” actually mean? Does the text mean they literally reigned in heaven over their enemies? Probably not!

 

How Long Is the Millennium?

from Google Images

Many modern Christians believe that Christ will return one day, perhaps in our lifetime, and initiate a thousand years of peace, and this thousand years of peace is referred to as the millennium. Still other Christians would tell us that Jesus won’t return until after the millennium, and the thousand year period is figurative and represents the present Christian Age. Once this age is over, Jesus will return! Finally, a much smaller group of Christians believe the thousand year period is a much shorter block of time and has already occurred in the first century AD. Which point of view is correct, and can we know?

 

What Is the Millennium?

from Google Images

The term a thousand years is found in the Apocalypse only in this chapter and elsewhere only in three places in Scripture. What does it mean, and how should it affect our understanding here? Through the centuries folks have placed their own interpretations upon the text and established a whole eschatology based upon what they believe the term millennium (the thousand years) means. If they are wrong about the millennium, their whole eschatological house of cards collapses! So much is dependent upon so little and that little is often so vague!

 

A Thousand Years, a Watch in the Night

from Google Images

I am presently considering Peter’s words at 2Peter 3:8, where Peter mentions that a day with the Lord is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day. Lots of folks, all futurists with respect to the coming of the Lord, want to use Peter’s words to explain the long delay in Jesus coming, as perceived by them, due to their erroneous eschatology. By ignoring the specific timeframe Peter placed upon the coming of Christ in his first epistle (cf. 2Peter 3:1), they make grandiose eschatological claims for an end of the universe and the end of time. The problem is they have no Biblical support for their overactive imaginations, so, in an effort to seem Biblically sound they redefine God’s word to fit their failed eschatological system.

 

A Thousand Years Is AS a Day

from Google Images

I have heard 2Peter 3:8 argued by futurists that a day with the Lord is a thousand years, and a thousand years is a day. Therefore, the Day of the Lord is still at hand after two thousand years, because it has been only two days with the Lord. I know the person who said this meant well, and thought to defend the Lord’s tardiness from man’s point of view, but this is NOT what Peter said. Peter never said a thousand years is a day with the Lord. He said a thousand years is **AS** a day, and a day is **AS** a thousand years. That’s a simile, not to be taken literally. The use of the words like and as in such phrases make the phrase a figure of speech, such as “crazy like a fox” or ”sturdy as an oak”. It does not follow that people who are described this way are literal foxes or literal oaks or even having the literal strength of an oak. It is unbelievable how even educated people will try to use this phrase in 2Peter 3:8 literally.