Is amillennialism biblical?

Amillennialism is a view held by many Christian theologians and denominations. It teaches that there will not be a literal 1000-year reign of Christ in heaven, and that the “millennium” described in Revelation 20 is symbolic of the current church age, which began at Christ’s resurrection and will end at His second coming. According to this view, we are now living in the millennium, and there is no future thousand-year reign of Jesus in heaven.

However, a careful study of Scripture—especially Revelation 20—reveals a very different picture. The Bible teaches that Christ will return visibly and gloriously, the wicked will be destroyed, the righteous will be taken to heaven, and Satan will be bound on a desolate earth with no one to deceive for a literal thousand years. This view is often referred to as historic premillennialism or Adventist premillennialism. It is a perspective firmly grounded in a plain reading of Scripture. In this article, we will explore in depth why amillennialism is not biblical, and what the Bible truly teaches about the 1000 years of Revelation 20.

What Amillennialism Teaches

Amillennialism is the belief that there is no literal 1000-year reign of Christ in heaven. Instead, it claims:

1. The millennium is a symbolic period of time representing the church age.
2. Christ is currently reigning spiritually from heaven.
3. Satan was bound at the cross and can no longer deceive the nations.
4. There will be no future, heavenly reign of Christ.
5. The second coming of Jesus, the resurrection of the righteous and the wicked, and the final judgment will all occur at the same time.

This interpretation spiritualizes the events described in Revelation 20, treating them as allegories rather than literal, chronological events.

What the Bible Says About the 1000 Years

Revelation 20 describes a very specific sequence of events:

1. Satan is bound on earth for 1000 years.
2. The saints live and reign with Christ for 1000 years in heaven.
3. The rest of the dead do not live again until the 1000 years are finished.
4. After the 1000 years, the wicked are raised, Satan is released, and gathers the wicked for a final battle.
5. Fire from God destroys them.
6. The final judgment occurs.

Let us examine this step-by-step and show why it cannot be reconciled with amillennialism.

Christ’s Visible Return Precedes the Millennium

Revelation 19 describes the glorious return of Jesus Christ as King of kings and Lord of lords. He rides on a white horse, followed by the armies of heaven. In Revelation 19:19-21 (NKJV), we read:

“And I saw the beast, the kings of the earth, and their armies, gathered together to make war against Him who sat on the horse and against His army. Then the beast was captured, and with him the false prophet… These two were cast alive into the lake of fire burning with brimstone. And the rest were killed with the sword which proceeded from the mouth of Him who sat on the horse.”

This is a cataclysmic event where Christ returns and destroys the wicked. This event must precede the millennium of Revelation 20 because Revelation 20:1-3 immediately follows, describing the binding of Satan.

Amillennialism teaches that Christ’s second coming is at the end of the millennium. But Revelation’s sequence shows Christ’s second return is followed by the millennium, not the other way around.

Satan Is Bound After Christ’s Return—Not at the Cross

Revelation 20:1-3 (NKJV) says:

“Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven… He laid hold of the dragon, that serpent of old, who is the Devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years… so that he should deceive the nations no more till the thousand years were finished.”

Amillennialists claim this binding happened at the cross. But if Satan was bound and could not deceive the nations since then, how do we explain the rampant deception in the world? Satan has continued to deceive, as Paul warns in 2 Corinthians 4:4 (NKJV):

“whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe…”

Moreover, 1 Peter 5:8 (NKJV) says:

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.”

This does not describe a bound enemy. The binding described in Revelation 20 is yet future and occurs after Christ’s second return, when the wicked are slain and the earth becomes desolate.

The Righteous Are Taken to Heaven for 1000 Years

Revelation 20:4-6 describes the saints reigning with Christ for a thousand years:

“And they lived and reigned with Christ for a thousand years… Blessed and holy is he who has part in the first resurrection… they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with Him a thousand years.”

Where does this reign take place? Jesus promised in John 14:2-3 (NKJV):

“In My Father’s house are many mansions… I go to prepare a place for you… I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”

Christ does not prepare a kingdom on earth at His coming; He takes His people to heaven. Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NKJV):

“For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven… and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up… to meet the Lord in the air.”

This catching up at Christ’s second coming—commonly called the rapture—results in believers being taken to heaven with Jesus. It is this group that reigns with Christ in heaven for 1000 years. The earth, meanwhile, becomes desolate with the wicked destroyed.

The Wicked Are Destroyed and Left Dead

Revelation 20:5 (NKJV) says:

“But the rest of the dead did not live again until the thousand years were finished.”

The “rest of the dead” are the wicked. They are slain at Christ’s return and remain dead throughout the millennium. Jeremiah prophesied about the state of the earth during this time. In Jeremiah 4:23-26 (NKJV):

“I beheld the earth, and indeed it was without form, and void… I beheld, and indeed there was no man, and all the birds of the heavens had fled… all its cities were broken down at the presence of the Lord, by His fierce anger.”

This is a picture of a desolate, lifeless earth following the destruction of the wicked. The righteous are not present—they are in heaven. The wicked are not alive—they are dead. This is the perfect context for Satan to be “bound” with no one to deceive.

The Final Judgment and the End of Sin

At the end of the thousand years, the wicked are raised again for judgment. Revelation 20:7-9 (NKJV):

“Now when the thousand years have expired, Satan will be released from his prison and will go out to deceive the nations… to gather them together to battle… They went up… and surrounded the camp of the saints… And fire came down from God out of heaven and devoured them.”

This is the final judgment and destruction of the wicked. It is not a battle where both sides fight. It is God’s final act of justice and the second death in the lake of fire.

The Earth Made New

After sin and sinners are destroyed, God creates a new heaven and a new earth. Revelation 21:1 (NKJV):

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away.”

This is the eternal home of the righteous. There will be no more death, sorrow, or pain (Revelation 21:4).

Amillennialism skips over the 1000 years and fails to explain how Satan is bound, when the wicked are judged, or where the righteous are during this period. It conflates multiple end-time events into one and ignores the clear chronological flow of Revelation 19–21.

Summary of Key Points

1. Christ’s return (Revelation 19) is before the millennium, not after.
2. The wicked are slain at His return (2 Thessalonians 1:7-9; Revelation 19:21).
3. The righteous are caught up to meet Christ in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:17), fulfilling His promise to take them to heaven (John 14:3).
4. Satan is bound on the desolate earth with no one to deceive (Revelation 20:1-3; Jeremiah 4:23-26).
5. The saints reign with Christ for 1000 years in heaven (Revelation 20:4-6).
6. After 1000 years, the wicked are resurrected (Revelation 20:5), judged, and destroyed by fire (Revelation 20:9, 14-15).
7. God creates a new earth, the eternal home of the redeemed (Revelation 21:1-4).

Conclusion: Is Amillennialism Biblical?

The Bible does not teach amillennialism. While it may offer a convenient theological system for some, it cannot be reconciled with the clear, sequential, and literal interpretation of Revelation 20 and related passages. Christ will return visibly and gloriously. The righteous will be caught up to be with Him in heaven, while the wicked are slain. The earth will become a desolate prison for Satan during the 1000 years. At the end of the millennium, the wicked will be raised, judged and destroyed, and God will make all things new.

Rather than allegorizing the millennium, we should believe what God has plainly revealed. The second coming of Christ is not the end of all things—but the beginning of a new phase in God’s great plan of redemption, leading ultimately to the recreation of a perfect world, free from sin forever.