Millennial Perspectives on Revelation |
Point of View |
Amillennial |
Historical Premillenial |
Dispensational Premillennial |
Post Millennial |
| Sevenheads (17:7) and seven kings (17:10) |
Roman emperors Augustus to Titus, excluding three brief rules |
Five past godless kingdoms; sixth was Rome; seventh would arise in end time |
Five distinct forms of Roman government prior to John; sixth was imperial Rome; seventh will be revived Roman Empire |
Roman emperors |
| Ten horns (17:7) and seven kings (17:10) |
Vassal kings who ruled with Rome's permission |
Symbolic of earthly powers that will be subservient to antichrist |
Ten kingdoms arising in future out of revived Roman Empire |
Symbolic of earthly powers |
| Bride, wife (19:7) |
Same view - Total of all the redeemed |
The church; does not include Old Testament saints or tribulation saints |
Same view - Total of all the redeemed |
| Marriage supper (19:9) |
Climax of the age; symbolizes complete union of Christ with His people |
Union of Christ with His people at His coming |
Union of Christ with His church accompanied by Old Testament saints and tribulation saints |
Union of Christ with His people |
| One on white horse (19:11-16) |
Vision of Christ's victory over pagan Rome; return of Christ occurs in connection with events of 20:7-10 |
Same views - Second coming of Christ |
Vision of Christ's victory |
| Battle of Armageddon(19:19-21; see 16:16) |
Not literally at end of time but symbolizes power of God's word overcoming evil; principle applies to all ages |
Literal event of some kind at end time but not literal battle with military weapons; occurs at Christ's return at beginning of millennium |
Literal bloody battle at Armageddon (valley of Megiddo) at end of great tribulation between kings of the east and federation of nations of new Rome; they are all defeated by blast from Christ's mouth and then millennium begins |
Symbolizes power of God's word overcoming evil forces |
| Great supper (19:17) |
Same views - Stands in contrast to marriage supper |
Concludes series of judgments and opens way for kingdom to be established |
Same views - Stands in contrast to marriage supper |
| Blinding of Satan (20:2) |
Symbolic of Christ's resurrection victory over Satan |
Same views - Curbing of Satan's power during the millennium |
Symbolic of Christ's resurrection victory over Satan |
| Millennium (20:2-6) |
Symbolic reference to period from Christ's first coming to His second |
A historical event, though length of one thousand years may be symbolic, after Armageddon during which Christ rules with His people |
A literal thousand-year period after the church age during which Christ rules with His people but especially through the Jews |
A lengthy period of expansion and spiritual prosperity brought about by the preaching of the gospel |
