Is Christ going to reign a thousand years in Jerusalem?
Introduction. When such a question is asked, it generally stems from the religious atmosphere known as Premillennialism, which is very popular today. Premillennialism contains about 20 sequential doctrines. Actually, there are numerous conflicting views within the climate of Premillennialism. A few positions which are generally true of Premillennialism are: The kingdom is not in the world, not the purpose of a substitute gospel age to convert the world, we are now in the latter stages of the church age, etc. One basic tenet of this system is that Jesus is returning to literal Jerusalem where he will begin a literal thousand year governmental reign on earth.
The proof text? An alleged proof text for this belief is Revelation 20: 4: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them... and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (please read the entirety of the verse in your Bible). For a proof verse, it is obviously lacking some essential teachings. Revelation 20: 4 does not even mention the second coming of Christ, a bodily resurrection, a reign on earth, a literal throne of David, Jerusalem, Christians in general, and it does not mention Christ being on earth. Moreover, those mentioned as reigning with Christ constitute a special class - beheaded martyrs.
Premillennialism is an doctrine borne out of imagination. The more one studies this system, the more one realizes the speculative nature of this belief. This system is popular today, I am convinced, because it appeals to the physical - a physical reign, not a spiritual. Beloved, the kingdom has already been established and Jesus is now reigning as Lord and Christ (Col. 1: 13, Acts 2: 23-33). Furthermore, we are in the last dispensation (no additional chances).
The proof text? An alleged proof text for this belief is Revelation 20: 4: "And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them... and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus... and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years" (please read the entirety of the verse in your Bible). For a proof verse, it is obviously lacking some essential teachings. Revelation 20: 4 does not even mention the second coming of Christ, a bodily resurrection, a reign on earth, a literal throne of David, Jerusalem, Christians in general, and it does not mention Christ being on earth. Moreover, those mentioned as reigning with Christ constitute a special class - beheaded martyrs.
Premillennialism is an doctrine borne out of imagination. The more one studies this system, the more one realizes the speculative nature of this belief. This system is popular today, I am convinced, because it appeals to the physical - a physical reign, not a spiritual. Beloved, the kingdom has already been established and Jesus is now reigning as Lord and Christ (Col. 1: 13, Acts 2: 23-33). Furthermore, we are in the last dispensation (no additional chances).