Apeiro-millennialism FAQ

What is Apeiro-millennialism?

Apeiro-millennialism understands the duration of the 1,000 reign of Christ mentioned in Revelation 20 as being eternal. On a surface reading of the chapter, there are specific events that appear to happen after the 1,000 years are over. However, apiero-millennialism views the statements that mention these events are interpreted as adynata (plural of adynaton). That would make them comparable to our modern expression “when pigs fly, such-and-such will happen”. As such, most of these events never happen in reality.

Does the Apeiro-millennial View Make God a Liar?

God uses lots of literary devices in the Bible. The wooden literal interpretations of those often contrast sharply with what was actually meant. That does not make God a liar.

Does the Apeiro-millennial View Deny a Future Return of Christ to Earth?

No, apeiro-millennialism does not deny a future return of Christ to earth. Though the apeiro-millennial view understands Christ to be presently reigning from heaven, it still expects that his reign must transform into a vassal reign under the father in accordance with 1 Corinthians 15:25. This happens at some indeterminate point within the infinite span of time referred to as the the 1,000 years.

Does the Apeiro-millennial View Deny That Satan and Earthly Evil Will Ever Be Permanently Destroyed?

No, apeiro-millennialism does not deny that Satan or the presence of evil on the earth will at some point be permanently destroyed. Though the apeiro-millennial view understands Satan’s release from the Abyss to be sarcastic, his ultimate destruction is expected to occur at some point. This happens at some indeterminate point within the infinite span of time referred to as the the 1,000 years.

Does the Apeiro-millennial View Deny That a Spirit Being Known as Satan Exists?

No, apeiro-millennialism does not deny that Satan exists as a spirit being. Though he is bound in a limited sense, he has not yet been destroyed. Though he will remain in the Abyss for an infinite span of time referred to as the the 1,000 years, his destruction will take place at some indeterminate point in the future when the Abyss (Hades) is cast into the Lake of Fire.

What Connection Does Apeiro-Millennialism See Between Adam’s Lifespan and Christ’s 1,000 Year Reign?

Apeiro-millennialism sees the 1,000 year reign of Christ as a masterful way to implicitly emphasize Christ’s role as the “Last Adam” (1 Corinthians 15:22,45; Romans 5:14; Luke 3:38). It reflects Christ’s success in key areas where the First Adam failed.

The First Adam was initially intended to live for an eternity but his sin put an end to that resulting in a unique “day” of judgment by God (the first small scale “Day of the Lord”-style judgment event). That judgment did not occur within an ordinary day.

From one perspective, it happened 70 years short of 1,000 years (Genesis 5:5). The biblical text here does not mention the 1,000 years explicitly but it’s easy enough to infer on account of Psalm 90:4. Its messianic significance is also evident on account of the 70-year deficiency. However, beyond mere inference, the ancient pre-Christian witness of the book of Jubilees mentions this 1,000 year target lifespan of Adam explicitly and it refers to it as a “day” citing Psalm 90:4 as justification. This can be found in Jubilees 4:39-40 (verse 30 in some translations).

The original Adam’s life was limited to no more than 1,000 years as a symbol of his lost immortality. However, God didn’t even let him exercise his dominion over the earth for a full 1,000 years. That was also cut short by his sin.

On the other hand, Christ as the Last Adam is not subject to a “day” of judgment as the original Adam was. Rather, he exercises his own judgment at the ultimate “Day of the Lord”. Having regained by his sinlessness the immortality that Adam lost, Christ exercises his dominion for a full (though symbolic) 1,000 years. Just as Adam’s failure to live 1,000 years was a reflection of his lost immortality and failure to dominate the earth forever, Christ’s 1,000-year reign reflects his success in these areas ultimately emphasizing the eternal duration of his reign.

How Can Revelation 20 Be Read Aloud to More Effectively Relay the Sarcasm that Permeates It?

Apart from exegetical considerations, the tone with which much of the Revelation 20 is read makes a huge impact on how it’s perceived. Understanding that it follows the victory of the righteous against the Beast and False Prophet of chapter 19 and that it’s meant to be a taunt comprised of several adynata, intonation is important to verbally evoking the author’s desired effect. The key is to read verses 2-10 with the sly tone of a victor subtly mocking his prisoners of war with insincere hints at hope for relief and a disdain for the captives that becomes increasingly more obvious by the beginning of verse 11.

Dual-Reference FAQ

Are Biblical ‘Types’ Only Possible in the Old Testament?

It’s often claimed that there is some iron-clad rule that restricts types to only the Old Testament while the fulfillment of these types can only exist in the New Testament. However, not only is this principle not found anywhere in the Bible, but there are counterexamples that can be provided from both the Old and New Testaments that prove that no such rules exists. First and foremost would be the predictive warning that God gave to Adam in Genesis 3:17. This was obviously a type that referenced two events that each occurred well before New Testament times. It was fulfilled once in Genesis 3:16-19 and again in Genesis 5. Another would be the destruction of Israel under Solomon’s reign. Solomon’s kingdom was split in a very loop-sided way to the kings Rehoboam and Jeroboam. The nature of the relationships that the Assyrian, Median and Grecian empires had with Israel and Judah also foreshadowed the nature of the relationships they had with the Babylonian, Medo-Persian and Roman Empires respectively. Other than Rome, the prefigurements of the preceding empires and their fulfillment in subsequent empires both came to pass prior to New Testament times.

Does Allowing for ‘Types’ to Exist in the New Testament Allow for Unlimited Fulfillments?

Opponents of the idea that the New Testament prophets could have employed typology often claim that this would allow for indefinite, repeated fulfillments making it impossible to know when the final fulfillment has arrived. However, in the specific cases of some key messianic prophecies, a limit of precisely two fulfillments was evident from the text. This limit is implied through various means but the nature of the reference is specifically dual, not merely multiple.

Does Detection of Biblical ‘Types’ and Interpreting Their Fulfillment Require Revelation Through Divine Inspiration?

It is often claimed that confidently interpreting biblical typology requires divine revelation. It is argued that the only reason the apostles could cite passages like Isaiah 7:14 as being fulfilled in Jesus was on account of their divine inspiration to detect or attribute significance to such texts. However, this claim is not supported by the biblical evidence and it undermines the credibility of the New Testament authors claims.

Does a Futurist View of the Olivet Discourse Make God a Liar?

God uses lots of literary devices in the Bible. The wooden literal interpretations of those often contrast sharply with what was actually meant. That does not make God a liar. Some futurists views of the Olivet Discourse or Genesis 3:17 seem strained and do not explain these passages in ways that make it easy to see these statements as anything other than blatant lies. However, the view for which we advocate sees these passages as puns which were well-known in the time of Jesus and are based on the same types of biblical precedents that are required to understand other passages that are widely accepted to be cast in hyperbolic and highly symbolic language. If God is not a liar in the latter case, it’s hard to see why He should be considered a liar in the former.