Premillennialists ignore the tense of the verbs in Revelation 20:4, 5. John said, “I saw…was
committed…had been beheaded…. They came to life and reigned….” These verbs are in the
past tense. Ignoring that, millennialists change the tense to future and say, “They will live and
will reign.” If “a thousand years” is to be taken literally, then the event mentioned here is past.
Premillennialists ignore the fact that the bodily resurrection of the saints is not mentioned
or when or where a reign will take place. Revelation 20 does not state that Christ will come back to earth or establish an earthly kingdom, and it does not tell how long Christ’s reign is, just the reign of the souls of those “who had not worshiped the beast” (v. 4).
The Bible is very clear in its teaching that the kingdom of Christ and God is here now (cf.
Mark 9:1; Matt. 16:18-20; Eph. 5:5; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9). The Bible is clear that Jesus Christ is
now reigning over His kingdom (cf. Acts 2:22-26; 1 Cor. 15:22-28). The Bible is clear about what
will happen when Jesus returns. He will raise the dead all in the same hour (John 5:25, 28, 29).
This is literal and not figurative language. He will judge all at that time (Jude 14, 15; Acts 17:30,
31; Matt. 25:31-46). And Peter says in non-figurative language that the Lord’s return will bring
the end of the world (2 Pet. 3:8-13). In all this clear teaching of God’s word there is no room for
a literal, earthly thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. This seems to be ignored.