1000 thousand years is not literal

[GallagherM]

The Thousand Years: Symbolic Completion, Not Chronological Countdown
The idea that the "thousand years" in Revelation 20 is a literal span of time has fueled centuries of speculation, but I believe it's symbolic—a metaphor for the fullness or completeness of God's redemptive timeline, specifically marking the transition from the Mosaic age to the fullness of Christ's reign.

Scriptural Anchors for a Symbolic View:
• Revelation 20:2–6 speaks of Satan being bound for a thousand years, but this echoes other symbolic uses of numbers in apocalyptic literature. Just as “seven” often represents completeness, “a thousand” may represent the full scope of divine purpose—not a stopwatch.

• Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 remind us that “a thousand years is like a day” to the Lord. Time in prophetic literature often bends toward meaning, not measurement.
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• Hebrews 8:13 declares the Mosaic covenant “obsolete” and “ready to vanish away”—a clear signal that the old age was ending in the first century.

• Matthew 24:34: “This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” Jesus was speaking to His contemporaries, not forecasting millennia ahead.

• Revelation 1:1 and 22:6 both emphasize that the events described were to happen “soon” and were “at hand.”

So why do we keep trying to pin down a date?
On Predictions Like 2037 or 2056: I’ve heard those too—2037, 2056, and countless others. But this pattern of prediction isn’t new. From the early church to modern forums, people have tried to decode the timeline. Yet Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows the day or hour.” That should humble us.
Instead of chasing dates, maybe we should ask: What did Jesus mean by “the end of the age”?

First-Century Fulfillment? It’s entirely plausible that the “end of the age” Jesus spoke of was the end of the Mosaic age, culminating in the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. That event marked a seismic shift in covenantal history. Jesus warned of it repeatedly:
• Matthew 23:36–38: “Your house is left to you desolate.”
• Luke 21:20–22: “These are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”

This wasn’t about the end of the world—it was about the end of a world: the old covenant world.

 

[3 Resurrections]

The Thousand Years: Symbolic Completion, Not Chronological Countdown

The thousand years of Revelation 20 was both symbolic and chronological. And I deliberately speak in the past tense, since the literal thousand-year period is loooong past by now. The literal thousand years spanned the years of 968/967 BC until AD 33 - the years of a God-ordained physical temple system begun under Solomon. This millennium looked forward to Christ establishing the spiritual temple not made with hands, with Himself as the foundation stone - the "chief cornerstone" which the builders had rejected.

So why do we keep trying to pin down a date?

We keep trying to pin down a date because Scripture itself gives us time indicators as to exactly when the thousand years was "finished" and "expired". The date that ends the millennium is very simple. Revelation 20:5 tells us that the millennium was "finished" when the "first resurrection" occurred. That "first resurrection" was the year when "Christ the First-fruits" arose from the dead, along with the Matthew 27:52-53 saints who were raised from those broken-open graves around Jerusalem on the same day that Christ arose.

There were 144,000 of those Matthew 27:52-53 "First-fruits", according to Rev. 14:4. That means the Jewish Matthew 27:52-53 resurrected saints were the "remnant of the dead" in Rev. 20:5 which "lived again" at the time the thousand years was "finished". That means the Rev. 20 thousand years ENDED in AD 33 with the bodily resurrection of all the "First-fruits" of the "first resurrection" - which included Christ Himself as well as the Matthew 27:52-53 resurrected saints from all those Jewish tribes listed.

• Matthew 24:34: “This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” Jesus was speaking to His contemporaries, not forecasting millennia ahead.

Amen to that. The end of the thousand years of Satan's deception of the nations being bound had already taken place even before John was writing Revelation. Satan's deception of the nations was again in full swing as soon as Christ had ascended to heaven and had cast Satan and all his devils down to earth, when they would plague the inhabitants of the world once more. John warned his readers in Revelation 12:12 that Satan was then operating in "great wrath" in those days, knowing he only had a "short time" left (the same as that "little time" after the thousand years had just ended in AD 33).

 

[mikesw]

The sense of 1000 is actually plural such that it can be an indefinite duration. Then we know that all this happens after the first century since Rev 12:14 shares the 3.5 years of Dan 7:25 and 12:11-12. These three and a half years then come in connection with the start of the kingdom in Dan 2:44-45 and 7:13-28.

The mention of the 1000s years end point in Rev 20 functions as a parenthetical point within Revelation that helps show the ultimate demise of Satan and to explain the protection of the Christians overall through troubles that would happen in this revived deception of nations against God, as seen in Rev 20:7-10

 

[GallagherM]

It's not literal.

 

[armylngst]

The Thousand Years: Symbolic Completion, Not Chronological Countdown
The idea that the "thousand years" in Revelation 20 is a literal span of time has fueled centuries of speculation, but I believe it's symbolic—a metaphor for the fullness or completeness of God's redemptive timeline, specifically marking the transition from the Mosaic age to the fullness of Christ's reign.

Scriptural Anchors for a Symbolic View:
• Revelation 20:2–6 speaks of Satan being bound for a thousand years, but this echoes other symbolic uses of numbers in apocalyptic literature. Just as “seven” often represents completeness, “a thousand” may represent the full scope of divine purpose—not a stopwatch.

That is A LOT of speculation.

• Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 remind us that “a thousand years is like a day” to the Lord. Time in prophetic literature often bends toward meaning, not measurement.

He also reminds us that a day is like a thousand year. In other words, Peter made sure to cancel it out. Peter was telling us that God does not view time as we do as God. He is eternal and dwells within eternity. However, Jesus was here, so God knows exactly how time works by experience, not just because He created it.

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• Hebrews 8:13 declares the Mosaic covenant “obsolete” and “ready to vanish away”—a clear signal that the old age was ending in the first century.

Hebrews says that there is another covenant for Israel to take its place because the first was flawed. Whatever has happened to CONTEXT?

"7 For if that first covenant had been faultless, then should no place have been sought for the second. 8 For finding fault with them, he saith, Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah: 9 not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day when I took them by the hand to lead them out of the land of Egypt; because they continued not in my covenant, and I regarded them not, saith the Lord. 10 For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, saith the Lord; I will put my laws into their mind, and write them in their hearts: and I will be to them a God, and they shall be to me a people: 11 and they shall not teach every man his neighbour, and every man his brother, saying, Know the Lord: for all shall know me, from the least to the greatest. 12 For I will be merciful to their unrighteousness, and their sins and their iniquities will I remember no more. 13 In that he saith, A new covenant, he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away."

• Matthew 24:34: “This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” Jesus was speaking to His contemporaries, not forecasting millennia ahead.

He was forecasting millennia ahead. Consider that if you look at Matthew 24 and Luke 21, it is two different events. Luke speaks to AD 70, whereas Matthew speaks to the future. In Luke, the persecution of the church comes before the rumors of war, and nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. (An idiom which means the whole planet is at war, such as WW I and WW II)
Luke 21
"10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: 11 and great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven. 12 But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you, and persecute you, delivering you up to the synagogues, and into prisons, being brought before kings and rulers for my name’s sake. 13 And it shall turn to you for a testimony. 14 Settle it therefore in your hearts, not to meditate before what ye shall answer: 15 for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, which all your adversaries shall not be able to gainsay nor resist. 16 And ye shall be betrayed both by parents, and brethren, and kinsfolks, and friends; and some of you shall they cause to be put to death. 17 And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake. 18 But there shall not an hair of your head perish. 19 In your patience possess ye your souls."

The emphasized portion makes it pretty clear that Jesus is talking about the martyrdom of the apostles, Stephen, church leaders and members. They had the opportunity to witness prior to death. Matthew is different. Jesus says nothing about being able to give testimony in Matthew.

Back to the point. In Matthew the persecution of the church comes AFTER these things.
Matthew 24
"6 And ye shall hear of wars and rumours of wars: see that ye be not troubled: for all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. 7 For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places. 8 All these are the beginning of sorrows.

9 Then shall they deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name’s sake"

On earthquakes, someone checked history, and between Jesus and 1000 AD (apporoximately) there were only FIVE major earthquakes recorded. And, as the years go on after that, the number has gone up DRAMATICALLY. 20th century has 900,000 earthquakes. (Only a small number were major, but that is 100 years... The number of major earthquakes is larger than 5.) Consider there was less than 100,000 in the 19th century if I recall. There have also been several major earthquakes in my lifetime.

• Revelation 1:1 and 22:6 both emphasize that the events described were to happen “soon” and were “at hand.”

That doesn't mean what you think it means.

So why do we keep trying to pin down a date?

Some people don't get it. It is impossible to pin down. For instance, someone using prophecy literally has shown that we are at the precipice of step 3 of 5 before the tribulation. A war between Israel and several specific countries in specific areas that match up to today.

On Predictions Like 2037 or 2056: I’ve heard those too—2037, 2056, and countless others. But this pattern of prediction isn’t new. From the early church to modern forums, people have tried to decode the timeline. Yet Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows the day or hour.” That should humble us.
Instead of chasing dates, maybe we should ask: What did Jesus mean by “the end of the age”?

Before entering eternity. That is, after the millennium where the world is faces God's final judgment, and the heavens and Earth are destroyed and we have a new heavens and new earth.No one knows the day of final judgment, not even Jesus. That is why He told His disciples of that time, He has no signs. All He could say is that it will be as in the days of Noah.

First-Century Fulfillment? It’s entirely plausible that the “end of the age” Jesus spoke of was the end of the Mosaic age, culminating in the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. That event marked a seismic shift in covenantal history. Jesus warned of it repeatedly:
• Matthew 23:36–38: “Your house is left to you desolate.”
• Luke 21:20–22: “These are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”

This wasn’t about the end of the world—it was about the end of a world: the old covenant world.

It is all about the end of the world. Due to the Catholic church and others pushing Israel out, the understanding of prophecy is lost. If you look at all the prophecies of the Old Testament as belonging to Israel as God said, we still haven't reached the end yet. There are still some wars that need to take place. The return to Israel from the exile to judgment occurred in 1948. There is still one more gathering to go, which will be when God finally redeems Israel.

 

[Victoria]

It is all about the end of the world. Due to the Catholic church and others pushing Israel out, the understanding of prophecy is lost. If you look at all the prophecies of the Old Testament as belonging to Israel as God said, we still haven't reached the end yet. There are still some wars that need to take place. The return to Israel from the exile to judgment occurred in 1948. There is still one more gathering to go, which will be when God finally redeems Israel.

Amen! All nations will be brought against her in ages to come.

 

[GallagherM]

I dont have any problems with Catholic people.

Judgemental people do.

 

[armylngst]

I dont have any problems with Catholic people.

Judgemental people do.

Considering the Catholic church slipped into outright heresy, you may want to check yourself. Mary worship (Mariolatry) and more.

 

[civic]

Considering the Catholic church slipped into outright heresy, you may want to check yourself. Mary worship (Mariolatry) and more.

and the Popes too

 

[GallagherM]

Wooo! People doing people things, all people want to do is judge.

Always prying into others business like God isnt capable enough.

 

[dwight92070]

The Thousand Years: Symbolic Completion, Not Chronological Countdown
The idea that the "thousand years" in Revelation 20 is a literal span of time has fueled centuries of speculation, but I believe it's symbolic—a metaphor for the fullness or completeness of God's redemptive timeline, specifically marking the transition from the Mosaic age to the fullness of Christ's reign.

Scriptural Anchors for a Symbolic View:
• Revelation 20:2–6 speaks of Satan being bound for a thousand years, but this echoes other symbolic uses of numbers in apocalyptic literature. Just as “seven” often represents completeness, “a thousand” may represent the full scope of divine purpose—not a stopwatch.

• Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8 remind us that “a thousand years is like a day” to the Lord. Time in prophetic literature often bends toward meaning, not measurement.
.
• Hebrews 8:13 declares the Mosaic covenant “obsolete” and “ready to vanish away”—a clear signal that the old age was ending in the first century.

• Matthew 24:34: “This generation shall not pass till all these things be fulfilled.” Jesus was speaking to His contemporaries, not forecasting millennia ahead.

• Revelation 1:1 and 22:6 both emphasize that the events described were to happen “soon” and were “at hand.”

So why do we keep trying to pin down a date?
On Predictions Like 2037 or 2056: I’ve heard those too—2037, 2056, and countless others. But this pattern of prediction isn’t new. From the early church to modern forums, people have tried to decode the timeline. Yet Jesus Himself said in Matthew 24:36, “No one knows the day or hour.” That should humble us.
Instead of chasing dates, maybe we should ask: What did Jesus mean by “the end of the age”?

First-Century Fulfillment? It’s entirely plausible that the “end of the age” Jesus spoke of was the end of the Mosaic age, culminating in the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD. That event marked a seismic shift in covenantal history. Jesus warned of it repeatedly:
• Matthew 23:36–38: “Your house is left to you desolate.”
• Luke 21:20–22: “These are the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled.”

This wasn’t about the end of the world—it was about the end of a world: the old covenant world.

I agree. I believe Daniel said in Daniel 9:24, which speaks of the crucifixion, that that was the time to seal up vision and prophecy. In other words, the prophets messages were almost exclusively about Christ's first coming, death, and resurrection, not His 2nd coming. The crucifixion and resurrection marked the end of the Jewish age and ushered in the age of the church, which has both Jew and Gentile in it. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was the final nail in the coffin of the temple and the Jewish system. One could say that the 1000 years represents the time from the 1st coming of Christ to His 2nd coming.
If the Lord had given the exact number of years, instead of the symbolic 1000 years, we would be able to calculate the year of His return, which He doesn't want us to know.

 

[armylngst]

I agree. I believe Daniel said in Daniel 9:24, which speaks of the crucifixion, that that was the time to seal up vision and prophecy. In other words, the prophets messages were almost exclusively about Christ's first coming, death, and resurrection, not His 2nd coming. The crucifixion and resurrection marked the end of the Jewish age and ushered in the age of the church, which has both Jew and Gentile in it. The destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D. was the final nail in the coffin of the temple and the Jewish system. One could say that the 1000 years represents the time from the 1st coming of Christ to His 2nd coming.
If the Lord had given the exact number of years, instead of the symbolic 1000 years, we would be able to calculate the year of His return, which He doesn't want us to know.

So some prophecy is literal, but the parts you don't like are not? There is a lot of prophecy that is future. The BIble was very specific in prophecies where one can point out it was fulfilled. The rest is just lies? Things God happened to say, but didn't mean? Or, since it is pro Israel it has to be changed? (Pro Israel, as in pro those who accept their Messiah/king.)

Revelation makes it clear that the 1000 years comes after his second coming. (It's rather quite clear.) There are still future battles in the Old Testament that have not taken place yet. IF all the battles we can see of prophecy fulfilled are exactly as written, why can't those that haven't happened yet also be exactly as written?

 

[GallagherM]

Hey man, thanks for your comment.

I’ve read the Gospels many times over—out loud to myself, often several chapters at a time. “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17), and I’ve found that speaking it aloud helps me truly listen to what’s being said.

I’ve also built my own Bible studies, going chapter by chapter and verse by verse. I wish I still had those on YouTube, but I deleted them during a relapse. Still, I’m continuing to improve, and I hope to get back into it soon enough. “Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the Lord upholdeth him with his hand” (Psalm 37:24).

As I’ve read and re-read the Gospels, I’ve come to see clearly that Jesus came to the lost sheep of Israel—only them. “I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Matthew 15:24). That was His mission during His earthly ministry.

He foretold His return countless times, and He explained the coming wrath of God to the Pharisees through parables. “But when the king heard thereof, he was wroth: and he sent forth his armies, and destroyed those murderers, and burned up their city” (Matthew 22:7). That wasn’t just a story—it was a warning.

The wrath of God, the bride of Christ, Jesus and His return—it’s all in there. I haven’t missed anything. “Watch therefore: for ye know not what hour your Lord doth come” (Matthew 24:42).

All these things were foretold to real life breathing people which many people just continually dismiss overall.