The Millennial Kingdom has
historically been an object of contention among Christians. Although no believers
doubt the reality of Christ’s future reign, there is much division on whether
or not this Kingdom period is a literal thousand years or just a figurative
number mentioned to encapsulate all of eternity. One of the main reasons questions
surround this topic is because the Apostle Paul, the writer of half the New
Testament, appears to not address this issue.
Argument from Silence
First, there is some truth to
that statement. Paul never uses millennial terminology. However, I would like
to point out that just because he did not specifically address it does not
remove it from being a true doctrine. The Apostle John, who wrote the only book
devoted almost entirely to future events, stated a “thousand years” six times in Revelation chapter twenty. To say that
Paul’s absence on the subject proves that it will not happen literally is an
argument from silence. For example, Paul also does not talk about cats, but
they exist nonetheless.
Paul Stated It Indirectly
Second, people often say that
Paul never addressed the Millennial
Kingdom, but that could not be further from the truth. Yes, he does not use
those two words, but he does include the end times model in his eschatological
timeline. Check out 1 Corinthians 15:23-26 below:
Paul & John: Their Purpose for Writing
To understand the Word of God
properly, we must always put it in its appropriate context. The Apostle Paul
wrote at a different time and to a different audience than the Apostle John.
Paul wrote his epistles to churches in the middle of the first century
comprised mostly of Gentile Christians. He was sentenced to death before A.D.
70 by Rome and his main focus was to teach believers about their [Gentile Christians, not Israel’s] coming salvation. Thus, he
tended to sum everything up in both Christ’s return and rebuilding of the
heavens and the earth. Click here to read a doctrinal statement I wrote in which I also summed up the end.
In contrast, John wrote at the
end of the first century [almost 30 years after Jerusalem was destroyed]. Thus,
many of the churches throughout Asia minor would have been flooded with Jewish
refugees who were driven from their homeland. John was writing to Christians
after the destruction of the temple who were likely struggling to understand
the events taking place. Thus, his aim was to give believers a road map of
exactly how things are going to happen when the Lord comes back. Neither
apostle contradicts each other, they are just writing with a different purpose
in mind just like the Gospel accounts.
Paul & John: Their Ministries
Not only did these two write at
different times, but they had different ministry contexts. Yes, John ministered
to Gentile Christians as did all of the apostles, but only Paul is said to have
that as his specific ministry focus (Acts 9:15). Thus, you would not expect
Paul to spend very much time talking about the Millennial Kingdom in his
letters since the Kingdom will be almost entirely focused upon Israel and the
Jewish people. Both of the apostles knew their target audience and each emphasized
the topics that were most relevant to them.
Therefore, Paul routinely
encouraged his mostly Gentile audience with the coming salvation of the Church
[i.e. their salvation]. John, on the other hand, wrote Revelation in a way both
to exhort the Church and to instruct God’s people [both Jews and Gentiles] on
the future of Israel. Galatians 2:7-9 gives us a glimpse into the ministries of
the apostles:
On the contrary, when they saw that I had
been entrusted with the Gospel to the uncircumcised, just as Peter had been
entrusted with the Gospel to the circumcised (for He who worked through Peter
for his apostolic ministry to the circumcised worked also through me for mine
to the Gentiles), and when James and Cephas and John, who seemed to be pillars,
perceived the grace that was given to me, they gave the right hand of
fellowship to Barnabas and me, that we should go to the Gentiles and they to the circumcised [Jews].
Conclusion
We should keep in mind that the book
of Revelation was comprised of new information that had not yet previously been
revealed. Thus, we should read Revelation chapter twenty and praise God that
someday soon He will set up and establish His 1,000 year reign upon this world!
Some will argue that the Apostle Paul does not discuss the Millennial Kingdom
and they are partially right. However, in no way does that disprove the
doctrine. If anything, it backs it up and solidifies it because we can see
Biblical examples of the apostles being relevant to their own target audience.
It is of little concern that Paul did not write about the timeframe of the
Kingdom. Luke did not write about the new heavens and the new earth, but we
still hold to their coming existence. Just because one of the authors of
Scripture did not write on a doctrine does not make it any less true as we
ought to look at Scripture as a whole.
