The reign of Christ - When will it be?

TomL

Well-known member
It is a very popular belief that Christ will return (he will) and reign on earth for a 1000 years

I however think the following passage teaches otherwise

1 Corinthians 15:20–55 (ESV) — 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Christ reign is to last until all enemies have been defeated. Death is the last enemy. According to the text death is defeated at Christ's return. That would seem to indicate Christ reign precedes not follows his return

as verse 24 seems to indicate

1 Corinthians 15:24 (ESV) — 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.

Then cometh the end eita (grk 1534) to (grk 3588) telos (grk 5056). No verb ginetai (grk 1096) in the Greek. Supply "at his coming," the end or consummation of the age or world <Matthew. 13:39,49; 1Peter. 4:7>. (from Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament)


Christ reign therefor would be now in the church and indeed scripture does speak of Christ's exaltation and supremacy in the church


Acts 2:32–36 (ESV) — 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Ephesians 1:20–22 (ESV) — 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

Where he is seated at the Father's side and his enemies are being made his footstool.

Eschatology is of course a very difficult topic and there are varieties of opinion
 
It is a very popular belief that Christ will return (he will) and reign on earth for a 1000 years

I however think the following passage teaches otherwise

1 Corinthians 15:20–55 (ESV) — 20 But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. 21 For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. 22 For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 23 But each in his own order: Christ the firstfruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power. 25 For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. 26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death. 27 For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “all things are put in subjection,” it is plain that he is excepted who put all things in subjection under him. 28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all. 29 Otherwise, what do people mean by being baptized on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf? 30 Why are we in danger every hour? 31 I protest, brothers, by my pride in you, which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die every day! 32 What do I gain if, humanly speaking, I fought with beasts at Ephesus? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” 33 Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” 34 Wake up from your drunken stupor, as is right, and do not go on sinning. For some have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame. 35 But someone will ask, “How are the dead raised? With what kind of body do they come?” 36 You foolish person! What you sow does not come to life unless it dies. 37 And what you sow is not the body that is to be, but a bare kernel, perhaps of wheat or of some other grain. 38 But God gives it a body as he has chosen, and to each kind of seed its own body. 39 For not all flesh is the same, but there is one kind for humans, another for animals, another for birds, and another for fish. 40 There are heavenly bodies and earthly bodies, but the glory of the heavenly is of one kind, and the glory of the earthly is of another. 41 There is one glory of the sun, and another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for star differs from star in glory. 42 So is it with the resurrection of the dead. What is sown is perishable; what is raised is imperishable. 43 It is sown in dishonor; it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness; it is raised in power. 44 It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. If there is a natural body, there is also a spiritual body. 45 Thus it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being”; the last Adam became a life-giving spirit. 46 But it is not the spiritual that is first but the natural, and then the spiritual. 47 The first man was from the earth, a man of dust; the second man is from heaven. 48 As was the man of dust, so also are those who are of the dust, and as is the man of heaven, so also are those who are of heaven. 49 Just as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the man of heaven. 50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.” 55 “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

Christ reign is to last until all enemies have been defeated. Death is the last enemy. According to the text death is defeated at Christ's return. That would seem to indicate Christ reign precedes not follows his return
According to REvelation 20, death is not defeated until after the 1000 years, when death and hades are thrown into the lake of fire.
as verse 24 seems to indicate

1 Corinthians 15:24 (ESV) — 24 Then comes the end, when he delivers the kingdom to God the Father after destroying every rule and every authority and power.
This is after the 1000 year reign, and the final defeat of death.
Then cometh the end eita (grk 1534) to (grk 3588) telos (grk 5056). No verb ginetai (grk 1096) in the Greek. Supply "at his coming," the end or consummation of the age or world <Matthew. 13:39,49; 1Peter. 4:7>. (from Robertson’s Word Pictures in the New Testament)

Christ reign therefor would be now in the church and indeed scripture does speak of Christ's exaltation and supremacy in the church
In the Lord's prayer, Jesus said we should pray for His kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Parallelism. So the kingdom also to be on Earth as it is in heaven.
Acts 2:32–36 (ESV) — 32 This Jesus God raised up, and of that we all are witnesses. 33 Being therefore exalted at the right hand of God, and having received from the Father the promise of the Holy Spirit, he has poured out this that you yourselves are seeing and hearing. 34 For David did not ascend into the heavens, but he himself says, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, 35 until I make your enemies your footstool.” ’ 36 Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified.”

Ephesians 1:20–22 (ESV) — 20 that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, 21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. 22 And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church,

Where he is seated at the Father's side and his enemies are being made his footstool.

Eschatology is of course a very difficult topic and there are varieties of opinion
It is.
 
According to REvelation 20, death is not defeated until after the 1000 years, when death and hades are thrown into the lake of fire.

This is after the 1000 year reign, and the final defeat of death.

In the Lord's prayer, Jesus said we should pray for His kingdom come, thy will be done, on Earth as it is in heaven. Parallelism. So the kingdom also to be on Earth as it is in heaven.

It is.
Revelation is a very symbolic and difficult book filled with all kinds of symbols and figurative language. There exist multiple interpretations of the book spread across various eschatologies. I do not judge clear passages of scripture by the unclear
 
Revelation is a very symbolic and difficult book filled with all kinds of symbols and figurative language. There exist multiple interpretations of the book spread across various eschatologies. I do not judge clear passages of scripture by the unclear
It is prophecy, and as such is as clear as any other prophecy. Just because it doesn't agree with you doesn't allow you to say that God all of a sudden changed who He is, and became unclear. The Ante-Nicene church fathers didn't find it that confusing. They were premillennialists up to Augustine, and beyond. One of the church fathers in the second century said that all the orthodox believers felt there would be a physical millennial kingdom, based on all they had seen and heard. Revelation 19 also ties in pretty well with Zechariah 12-14, among other Old Testament prophecies. Even Psalm 110 speaks of the day of His army.

"3 Your people [a]will volunteer freely on the day of Your [b]power;
In [c]holy splendor, from the womb of the dawn,
[d]Your youth are to You as the dew."

(That b is to a foot note that says: or army.)
 
There are so many opinions, It is very hard to be dogmatic. I generally ascribe to a realized millennium, i.e. the church age.

It's written in such a concrete way, though.

And Satan is not currently bound, that's just ridiculous.

So we can rule out a quite a few guesses there.
 
It's written in such a concrete way, though.

And Satan is not currently bound, that's just ridiculous.

So we can rule out a quite a few guesses there.
Um in what sense would you think a spirit being may be bound?

How about if he was unable to stop the spread of christianity. Think of how it grew from a very small beginning

Jesus himself

Mark 3:22–27 (NIV) — 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” 23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.

noted a blinding upon satan during his earthly ministry
 
Um in what sense would you think a spirit being may be bound?

How about if he was unable to stop the spread of christianity. Think of how it grew from a very small beginning

Jesus himself

Mark 3:22–27 (NIV) — 22 And the teachers of the law who came down from Jerusalem said, “He is possessed by Beelzebul! By the prince of demons he is driving out demons.” 23 So Jesus called them over to him and began to speak to them in parables: “How can Satan drive out Satan? 24 If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. 25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 26 And if Satan opposes himself and is divided, he cannot stand; his end has come. 27 In fact, no one can enter a strong man’s house without first tying him up. Then he can plunder the strong man’s house.

noted a blinding upon satan during his earthly ministry
If you read Revelation 20, it tells us exactly what it means that Satan is bound.

Rev 20 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain [a]in his hand. 2 And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time."

If you look at what he does the moment he is released, it puts into focus what is meant by this.

"7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the [c]seashore. 9 And they came up on the [d]broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the [e]saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and [f]brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

So, He deceived them for the first battle at Megiddo, (where they arrayed themselves against the one who rode on the white horse), and is imprisoned so he cannot deceive the nations for a time. As soon as he is released, he goes out and deceives the nation to battle one last time. He loses again.

And the last two verses " 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if [k]anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

That is the defeat of the final enemy, death. Death has no power over believers, but... death still reigns over the non-believer.
 
If you read Revelation 20, it tells us exactly what it means that Satan is bound.

Rev 20 "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain [a]in his hand. 2 And he took hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3 and he threw him into the abyss and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time."

If you look at what he does the moment he is released, it puts into focus what is meant by this.

"7 When the thousand years are completed, Satan will be released from his prison, 8 and will come out to deceive the nations which are at the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the [c]seashore. 9 And they came up on the [d]broad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the [e]saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10 And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and [f]brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also; and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever."

So, He deceived them for the first battle at Megiddo, (where they arrayed themselves against the one who rode on the white horse), and is imprisoned so he cannot deceive the nations for a time. As soon as he is released, he goes out and deceives the nation to battle one last time. He loses again.

And the last two verses " 14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. 15 And if [k]anyone’s name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire."

That is the defeat of the final enemy, death. Death has no power over believers, but... death still reigns over the non-believer.
Deceive the nations. Yes

Has the gospel not spread into the nations?

Matthew 13:31–33 (ESV) — 31 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. 32 It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” 33 He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”
 
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Satan is hindered, no doubt, but Paul still called him the god of this world, blinding the minds of the unbelieving.

Paul said he wrestled with these principalities in high places.
Yes the binding was not total. But the blinding I believe was not without fault on the part of the gospel hearers who rejected it
 
Yes the binding was not total. But the blinding I believe was not without fault on the part of the gospel hearers who rejected it
No, God did it. The question becomes, do you believe that God doesn't have a purpose in partially blinding them? I mean, God did state it through Paul, (calvinistic), but your belief could trump that right?
 
No, God did it. The question becomes, do you believe that God doesn't have a purpose in partially blinding them? I mean, God did state it through Paul, (calvinistic), but your belief could trump that right?
The blinding was temporary and it was noted

Romans 11:23 (ESV) — 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

Acts 13:46 (ESV) — 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

It certainly seems some fault must lay with them

scripture not my belief
 
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The blinding was temporary and it was noted

Romans 11:23 (ESV) — 23 And even they, if they do not continue in their unbelief, will be grafted in, for God has the power to graft them in again.

Acts 13:46 (ESV) — 46 And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

It certainly seems some fault must lay with them

scripture not my belief
The blinding is until the fullness of the Gentiles has come in. It is partial because there are some who are saved during this time. God has not shut them out completely.
 
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