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Sermon #8703

The Premillennial View

A Sermon on the Premillennial View of Revelation

Originally preached May 6, 1955

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Sermon Description

In this sermon on the premillennial view of Revelation, Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones identifies several errors with the premillennial interpretation of eschatology. First, no other passages in the New Testament reference an earthly kingdom with Jesus literally reigning on earth for 1,000 years. Second, this view makes the kingdom earthly, whereas Jesus’s emphasis is on a spiritual kingdom. Third, it postpones the idea of the kingdom to the future, but this is contrary to what Dr. Lloyd-Jones sees in the New Testament. Fourth, it reintroduces the distinction between Jews and Gentiles that Paul so clearly wrote had been abolished. Fifth, Lloyd-Jones says, it proposes that there are three comings of Jesus, whereas Scripture says that there are two. Sixth, this view says that glorified saints and the Lord Jesus in His glory are on earth together with those who haven’t been glorified yet, but this, too, seems contrary to what Scripture teaches. Finally, it is inconceivable that if Christ reigns for 1,000 years that Satan will be able to produce an army large enough to wage war against Christ, even though they will be defeated. Listen to this sermon as Dr. Lloyd-Jones expands on these points and helps the listener understand the flaws with a premillennial view of the end times.

Sermon Breakdown

  1. The sermon begins by recapping the previous discussion on the premillennial view of Revelation 20. Dr. Lloyd-Jones notes that there are minor differences among premillennialists but that he presented a general composite view.
  2. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then presents several objections to the premillennial view. The first is that it is found nowhere else in Scripture. The second is that it presents an earthly conception of the kingdom rather than a spiritual one. The third is that it postpones the kingdom to the future rather than seeing it as present. The fourth is that it reintroduces a distinction between Jews and Gentiles.
  3. The fifth objection is that the premillennial view teaches multiple comings of Christ rather than one second coming. The sixth is that it teaches two or three resurrections rather than a single resurrection of the just and unjust. This contradicts Jesus' teaching in John 5 and 6.
  4. The seventh objection is that according to the premillennial view, glorified saints and those still in the flesh would be on earth together, which seems implausible. The eighth is that there must still be sinners during the millennial reign, contradicting the supposed peace of that time. The ninth is that after 1,000 years of Christ's reign, it is implausible that Satan could deceive the nations.
  5. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then turns to 2 Peter 3, which presents objections to the premillennial view. Peter knows of only one coming of the Lord, one day of judgment and destruction of the ungodly, and the arrival of the new heavens and new earth. This "day of the Lord" will come as a thief in the night, unlike the premillennial sequence of events.
  6. Dr. Lloyd-Jones then presents several objections from within Revelation 20 itself. The first is that the scene seems to be set in heaven, not on earth. The second is that the binding of Satan is symbolic, so the rest of the passage should be read symbolically. The third is that John refers to seeing the "souls" of the martyrs, suggesting a disembodied state in heaven.
  7. The fourth objection from Revelation 20 is that the thousand year period precedes the final judgment. The premillennial view has to reverse this sequence. The fifth is that their interpretation of Satan's binding is pressed too far, as it is implausible that there would be no sin or evil during this time.

Sermon Q&A

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Revelation 20: Premillennialism and Its Objections

What are the main objections Dr. Lloyd-Jones raises against the premillennial interpretation of Revelation 20?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones raises several significant objections to the premillennial view:

  1. The teaching is found nowhere else in the New Testament - only in Revelation 20
  2. It makes the kingdom primarily earthly rather than spiritual
  3. It postpones the kingdom to the future when Scripture says believers are already in it
  4. It reintroduces a distinction between Jews and Gentiles that Scripture says has been abolished
  5. It teaches multiple comings of Christ when Scripture suggests one Second Coming
  6. It contradicts Christ's teaching about a single general resurrection
  7. It creates the implausible scenario of glorified saints living alongside people still in the flesh
  8. It makes it difficult to explain how Satan could suddenly gather massive opposition after 1,000 years of Christ's reign
  9. It contradicts 2 Peter 3, which describes Christ's return as coming "like a thief in the night"
  10. It ignores the symbolic nature of the book of Revelation

Why does Dr. Lloyd-Jones believe the scene in Revelation 20 is set in heaven rather than on earth?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones believes the scene is set in heaven for several reasons:

  1. The chapter begins with "I saw an angel come down from heaven," suggesting John is viewing heavenly scenes
  2. The thrones mentioned in verse 4 are consistently located in heaven throughout Revelation
  3. There is no reference to earth, Palestine, Jerusalem, or Jews in the chapter itself
  4. John specifically says he saw "the souls of them that were beheaded," suggesting disembodied spirits rather than resurrected bodies
  5. The symbolic nature of other elements in the passage (like Satan being bound with a chain) suggests the entire scene is symbolic

How does Dr. Lloyd-Jones address the concept of the binding of Satan in Revelation 20?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones points out:

  1. Even premillennialists admit the binding with a chain must be symbolic since Satan is a spirit
  2. It's inconsistent to interpret the chain symbolically but then take the thousand years literally
  3. The binding of Satan seems at odds with the description at the end of the millennium where Satan easily deceives nations
  4. If Satan's binding means complete removal of sin and evil, it's difficult to explain how masses of people could immediately turn against Christ after the millennium
  5. The description appears to be symbolic, consistent with other numbers and images in Revelation

What does Dr. Lloyd-Jones say about the relationship between Revelation 20 and other New Testament teachings?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones emphasizes that:

  1. Revelation 20 must be interpreted in harmony with other Scripture, not in isolation
  2. Jesus taught a single general resurrection (John 5:28-29) with good and bad rising together
  3. Jesus repeatedly said believers would be raised "at the last day" (John 6:39-40, 44, 54)
  4. 2 Peter 3 describes Christ's return, judgment, and the new creation with no millennial period
  5. Paul in Romans 8 speaks of Christians awaiting "the redemption of our body," not a millennial reign
  6. The New Testament consistently teaches that believers are already in God's kingdom
  7. The "day of the Lord" is described as coming suddenly, not after a thousand-year reign

What alternative views does Dr. Lloyd-Jones suggest for interpreting Revelation 20?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones mentions:

  1. The post-millennial view (which he plans to discuss in his next sermon)
  2. A symbolic/spiritual interpretation that aligns with the overall symbolic nature of Revelation
  3. An interpretation consistent with Daniel's prophecies and other New Testament teachings
  4. An approach that focuses on the ultimate "new heavens and new earth" rather than an earthly millennium
  5. An understanding that leads believers to be ready for Christ's return, which could come unexpectedly "as a thief in the night"

Great Biblical Doctrines

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones

Dr. Martyn Lloyd-Jones (1899-1981) was a Welsh evangelical minister who preached and taught in the Reformed tradition. His principal ministry was at Westminster Chapel, in central London, from 1939-1968, where he delivered multi-year expositions on books of the bible such as Romans, Ephesians and the Gospel of John. In addition to the MLJ Trust’s collection of 1,600 of these sermons in audio format, most of these great sermon series are available in book form (including a 14 volume collection of the Romans sermons), as are other series such as "Spiritual Depression", "Studies in the Sermon on the Mount" and "Great Biblical Doctrines". He is considered by many evangelical leaders today to be an authority on biblical truth and the sufficiency of Scripture.