T
Catholic and Calvinist Allegorization of Revelation 20: 1-8 and Revelation 7 and 14
Dispensationalists believe that following the tribulation there will be a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth in a fulfillment of the Jewish kingdom of their prophecy into which Gentiles will be allowed, as kind of second class citizens. But the historical premillennialists also thought that Christ would rule on earth for a thousand years following the tribulation period. Perhaps they did not all think the thousand years was a literal period. But they did not hold to anything like a pre-tribulation rapture. And they did not teach that physical Israel remains the chosen people. This was all before the time of Origen (184-253 A.D.). Before Origen, Ireneaus [140-203], Justin Martyr [100-165], and Papias [80-155]) were, for example, historical premillennialists.
Origen made use of broad allegory in interpreting Scripture, and Augustine followed his lead, saying the thousand year reign of Christ in Revelation 20: 1-8 is an allegory of all the "church" age. Catholics and traditional Calvinists do the same and also say the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14 are merely the saved people of the entire "church age.".
But Origen was part of the Alexandarian school of the 3rd century, and was influenced by Greek philosophy, especially Plato,and the Platonist Philio of Alexandria. Some say that while Origen opposed the Gnosticism of Alexandria, he also saw value in it.
So Origen the follower of Plato and maybe to some extent of Gnosticism, developed a systematic theology which tended to be more abstract that the theology taught by the successors of the Apostles in Antioch, Syria. This tendency toward the abstract thinking of Greek philosophy and of Gnosticism - which is not exactly the way of Christ and his apostles - is what led Origen to allegorize scripture the way he did, and to influence Augustine to allegorize.
The Catholic Church took up the allegorization method of Origen and made Revelation 20: 1-8 into an allegory of the entire church age, rejecting this text as prophecy. The Church also allegorized away the 144,000 into all those of all ages who are saved. Most of Calvinism followed the Catholic Church on Revelation 20: 1-8 and Revelation 7 and 14, rejecting these two texts as prophecy.
Just because the dispensationalists have made use of a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth with his saints following their tribulation period, does not necessarily mean that the Catholic and Calvinist allegorization of Revelation 20: 1-8 and Revelation 7: 1-8 and Revelation 14: 1-5 (on the 144,000) is true. It can be seen that dispensationalism does not agree with scripture on its basic starting postulations - that "All Israel" remain now as God's chosen people, and that the Catholic and dispensationalist "church" is a body of Christ different from "All Israel." So, dispensationlaism has a big problem with what the New Testament teaches. But many of the early church Fathers, as historical premillennialists, believed in a reign of Christ on earth, in the physical creation, following the tribulation - but did not believe in a pre-trib rapture, nor in Jewish supremacy.
This allegorization of the 144,000 deprives them of their ministry. Daniel 11: 33, "they that understand among the people shall instruct many" can be applied to the ministry of the Remnant as well as the 144,000 in the very last days. But except for Daniel 9: 24-27, Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, the "church" generally won't consider anything in Daniel as being relevant to end time prophecy. For most of the "church" the 144,000 are all male Jewish virgins or they don't exist for Calvinists as an end time group.
The six, seven, eight cycle of Revelation 17: 11 and Genesis 1: 26 on the creation of man on the sixth day predicts a time of rest in the Lord, which would be the seventh period following the sixth period. This is not a theory of dispensations. Man's number is six, and the period of man for those who are born again in Christ must end and the seventh time will fully begin. The seventh is the rest in God. For those born again in Christ there will be a rest following the number six period of man - the "church" period - in some form. We will live in a place where Christ is present and we will see him face to face (I John 3: 2, I Corinthians 13: 12)..
Hebrews 3: 11, 18, and 4: 1-11 speak of the rest of God, which is a fulfillment of God's rest, number seven, for the saints, Israel reborn in Jesus Christ.
Could not this fulfillment of the rest of God take place within the creation, or in the new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21: 1?
There are details in Revelation 20: 1-8 which do not seem to fit the literal interpretation, that the text refers to a time when Christ will reign on earth with his saints, such as allowing Satan to be loosed from his prison after the millennium ends, (verse 7) and the mention of Gog and Magog in verse 8. These details do not agree either with the view that the millennium refers just to the entire "church" age. Its a difficult text, but these details cannot just be ignored. But in verse 10 the devil is said to be cast into the lake of fire, which is the end of his activity against the people of God.
Dispensationalists believe that following the tribulation there will be a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth in a fulfillment of the Jewish kingdom of their prophecy into which Gentiles will be allowed, as kind of second class citizens. But the historical premillennialists also thought that Christ would rule on earth for a thousand years following the tribulation period. Perhaps they did not all think the thousand years was a literal period. But they did not hold to anything like a pre-tribulation rapture. And they did not teach that physical Israel remains the chosen people. This was all before the time of Origen (184-253 A.D.). Before Origen, Ireneaus [140-203], Justin Martyr [100-165], and Papias [80-155]) were, for example, historical premillennialists.
Origen made use of broad allegory in interpreting Scripture, and Augustine followed his lead, saying the thousand year reign of Christ in Revelation 20: 1-8 is an allegory of all the "church" age. Catholics and traditional Calvinists do the same and also say the 144,000 of Revelation 7 and 14 are merely the saved people of the entire "church age.".
But Origen was part of the Alexandarian school of the 3rd century, and was influenced by Greek philosophy, especially Plato,and the Platonist Philio of Alexandria. Some say that while Origen opposed the Gnosticism of Alexandria, he also saw value in it.
So Origen the follower of Plato and maybe to some extent of Gnosticism, developed a systematic theology which tended to be more abstract that the theology taught by the successors of the Apostles in Antioch, Syria. This tendency toward the abstract thinking of Greek philosophy and of Gnosticism - which is not exactly the way of Christ and his apostles - is what led Origen to allegorize scripture the way he did, and to influence Augustine to allegorize.
The Catholic Church took up the allegorization method of Origen and made Revelation 20: 1-8 into an allegory of the entire church age, rejecting this text as prophecy. The Church also allegorized away the 144,000 into all those of all ages who are saved. Most of Calvinism followed the Catholic Church on Revelation 20: 1-8 and Revelation 7 and 14, rejecting these two texts as prophecy.
Just because the dispensationalists have made use of a literal thousand year reign of Christ on earth with his saints following their tribulation period, does not necessarily mean that the Catholic and Calvinist allegorization of Revelation 20: 1-8 and Revelation 7: 1-8 and Revelation 14: 1-5 (on the 144,000) is true. It can be seen that dispensationalism does not agree with scripture on its basic starting postulations - that "All Israel" remain now as God's chosen people, and that the Catholic and dispensationalist "church" is a body of Christ different from "All Israel." So, dispensationlaism has a big problem with what the New Testament teaches. But many of the early church Fathers, as historical premillennialists, believed in a reign of Christ on earth, in the physical creation, following the tribulation - but did not believe in a pre-trib rapture, nor in Jewish supremacy.
This allegorization of the 144,000 deprives them of their ministry. Daniel 11: 33, "they that understand among the people shall instruct many" can be applied to the ministry of the Remnant as well as the 144,000 in the very last days. But except for Daniel 9: 24-27, Daniel 2 and Daniel 7, the "church" generally won't consider anything in Daniel as being relevant to end time prophecy. For most of the "church" the 144,000 are all male Jewish virgins or they don't exist for Calvinists as an end time group.
The six, seven, eight cycle of Revelation 17: 11 and Genesis 1: 26 on the creation of man on the sixth day predicts a time of rest in the Lord, which would be the seventh period following the sixth period. This is not a theory of dispensations. Man's number is six, and the period of man for those who are born again in Christ must end and the seventh time will fully begin. The seventh is the rest in God. For those born again in Christ there will be a rest following the number six period of man - the "church" period - in some form. We will live in a place where Christ is present and we will see him face to face (I John 3: 2, I Corinthians 13: 12)..
Hebrews 3: 11, 18, and 4: 1-11 speak of the rest of God, which is a fulfillment of God's rest, number seven, for the saints, Israel reborn in Jesus Christ.
Could not this fulfillment of the rest of God take place within the creation, or in the new heavens and new earth of Revelation 21: 1?
There are details in Revelation 20: 1-8 which do not seem to fit the literal interpretation, that the text refers to a time when Christ will reign on earth with his saints, such as allowing Satan to be loosed from his prison after the millennium ends, (verse 7) and the mention of Gog and Magog in verse 8. These details do not agree either with the view that the millennium refers just to the entire "church" age. Its a difficult text, but these details cannot just be ignored. But in verse 10 the devil is said to be cast into the lake of fire, which is the end of his activity against the people of God.
Last edited: