Introduction: Revelation chapter 20 is the only portion of Scripture which directly mentions the millennium – although other portions speak of such an idyllic time on earth, cf. Isaiah 60-66. Taking the biblical text for what it is creates problems for both the Dispensational and Reformed schools of interpretation. First let’s look at the difficulties which the text presents for Reformed theology.

Problems for Reformed theology: Events are clearly mentioned which take place before and after the millennium, cf. vv. 3-7. Our Reformed friends who generally understand the millennium as being descriptive of the Church age have great difficulty explaining these events.

If Satan is bound during the Church age (cf. Revelation 20:1-3), how can 1 Peter 5:6 make any sense at all – a teaching which describes our adversary the devil as a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. This roaring lion is loose – not bound! Paul in Ephesians 6:16 describes the evil one as attacking the believer with “flaming arrows” -- not exactly the action of one who is bound! During the last century and into this one more Christians have been martyred for their faith than at any other time in history. If this is the result of Satan being bound, what would it be like if he were loosed!

Also, our Reformed friends have great difficulty explaining Revelation 20:4-6. If the millennium is the Church age, then the resurrection of tribulation martyrs before the Church age makes no sense at all. Neither is there any way to understand how these resurrected tribulation martyrs reign with Christ during the Church age, but the rest of the dead are not resurrected until the end of the Church age.

Problems for Dispensational theology: Our Dispensationalist friends accept that Revelation 20 teaches a period of time called the millennium, but they also have difficulties with what happens before and after that period. Verses 4-6 mention only two resurrections, one before the millennium and one after – clearly called the first and second resurrections. According to Dispensational theology, however, these are not the first and second resurrections -- but the second and third – the first one having taken place before the tribulation at the time of the Rapture. Their position, therefore, seems to be forcing something on the text of Revelation 20:4-6 that is not there.

Another problem for our Dispensational friends has to do with the number of judgments. There is a tendency for Dispensational theology to posit many judgments in the end times – always separating the judgment of believers from that of unbelievers. In other words, believers and unbelievers cannot be judged at the same time. Jesus, however, teaches one judgment for all people in John 5:25-29 and Matthew 25:31-46 – the same event of judgment for both the good and the evil – for both the sheep and the goats. “Do not be amazed at this, for a time is coming when all who are in their graves will hear his voice and come out – those who have done good will rise to live, and those who have done evil will rise to be condemned.” John 5:25-29. It seems artificial to create two separate judgments out of this text or the Matthew 25:31-46 passage in which the sheep and goats are judged together and go to their separate eternal states: “Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life.” Matthew 25:46.

This brings us to Revelation 20:11-15, the Great White Throne Judgment. Following their theology consistently, our Dispensationalist friends cannot accept that both believers and unbelievers are present at this judgment – only unbelievers. In this passage, however, there is no differentiation between the “dead” when the books are opened – one of which is the book of life. In other words, these books have to do with both and unbelieving and the believing dead. Just as in the case of John 5:25-29 and Matthew 25:31-46, Revelation 20:11-15 describes one judgment for all people before our eternal Judge, the Lord Jesus Christ.