ISB ~ Revelation 20 v1 - 6

The binding of Satan and the millennial reign of Christ. Three views of the millennium have dominated theological discussion over the centuries. (1) Premillennialism is the view that Christ, when he comes again, will establish his reign on earth for 1,000 years. Also called chiliasm (from the Greek word for “one thousand”), this interpretation was popular in the second and third centuries (e.g., St. Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho 80). A modern version, advanced by Protestant dispensationalists, holds that the Church will be gathered into heaven at the Second Coming, after which Christ will restore the theocratic kingdom of David in Jerusalem for 1000 years and fulfill all of God’s promises to ethnic Israel. (2) Postmillennialism interprets the 1000 years as symbolizing that period of history during which the gospel goes forth and gradually has its full effect of Christianizing the world. Once this global process is complete, Christ will return in glory. Advocates generally hold that the length of the millennium is beyond our ability to calculate. (3) Amillennialism, like postmillennialism, holds to a symbolic view of the 1000 years and does not envision Christ reigning on earth in visible form. The millennium is said to represent the entire stretch of history between the First and Second Coming, that time when Christ reigns in a spiritual and sacramental way through the Church. Rising to prominence in the fourth and fifth centuries, this has probably been the most widely held view among Catholic theologians throughout history (beginning with St. Augustine, City of God 20, 9).

• The background of the millennium may be traced to the period of the Davidic covenant, which was established almost exactly 1000 years before the coming of Christ. This age began with David extending his rule over Israel and other nations (2 Sam 5-8) and with Solomon instructing the nations in the ways of righteousness (1 Kings 10:1-10, 2324). It is also a time when the faithful of Israel first experienced martyrdom for their faith (Dan 3:16-23; 2 Mac 7:1-42). The images in 20:1 also have links with Davidic traditions:the key recalls the key of David in 3:7; the pit of the netherworld was believed to be sealed off by the foundation stone of Solomon’s Temple; and the chain that prevents deception may reflect the tradition that a chain hung in Solomon’s courtroom and was used to verify the truthfulness of testimony given under oath. These and other features of the Davidic age prefigure the messianic age, during which Christ reigns over the Church and the world as the royal Davidic Messiah.

• The Catholic Church rejects all forms of millenarianism (i.e., chiliasm), which contends that Christ will come again to establish a visible kingdom on earth and to inaugurate a golden age of peace and prosperity within human history (Decree of the Holy Office, 1944) (CCC 676).