Premillennialism

Description: Premillennialism teaches that the second coming of Christ will initiate a 1000 year Golden Age of peace and prosperity that will take place on planet Earth prior to the eternal state.

Strengths: Certain Bible passages (at least) seem to be most easily understood in accordance with the premillennial position. Dr. Tom Schreiner [in a sermon found HERE] has argued that Revelation 20 teaches the premillennial view in the following ways:

1. The "binding and loosing" language in regards to Satan does not fit well with the idea that the millennium is happening now (as in the amillennial view), particularly in light of Revelation 12, which depicts Satan as thrown to the earth and currently making war against God's people;
2. The coming to life and resurrection in Rev 20:4-6 appears to be physical, especially when the language in this passage is seen as a contrast to Revelation 6, in which the martyrs are not raised, but are told to "wait"– "resurrection" in the NT is not used of regeneration or 'spiritual resurrection,' but always of bodily resurrection, unless this is the lone exception;
3. Rev 20:10 seems to indicate that the beast and false prophet are already in the lake of fire when the Devil is thrown there as well (placing the timing of Satan's defeat after the time when the beast and false prophet are defeated).

Weaknesses: Certain other Bible seem to present the second coming of Christ as the end of this present age, which must be followed only by the eternal state, beginning with God making a new heavens and new earth. For example, 2 Peter 3:10– "But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, in which the heavens will pass away with a roar and the elements will be destroyed with intense heat, and the earth and its works will be burned up" (NASB). Furthermore, the Bible seems to draw a sharp distinction between "this age" and "the age to come," which distinction may be undermined by the idea of Jesus physically reigning upon the earth with resurrected people for 1000 years before the eternal state begins.