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HOW TO QUICKLY REFUTE AMILLENNIAL DOCTRINE
by Alan Yusko
This short tract will give you enough information to quickly refute the amillennial position. It will prove that the amillenialist is twisting Scripture. This means they are guilty of spiritualizing literal Scripture and thus robbing the true meaning of God's revealed Word.
Will the amillennialist listen? Unfortunately most will not. Those given over to spiritualizing literal Scripture to force the Bible to fit within their incorrect doctrinal beliefs, rarely listen. The rule for such people is this: If I don't understand the verse or if it contradicts my set belief system, then I will spiritualize the verse and then ignore it.
This tract will allow you to catch the amillennialist in literal Scripture spiritualization which is a form of Scripture twisting. Who knows, when confronted, some people may listen. What is spiritualizing literal Scripture? Well, this is when a person takes something very literal in the Bible and makes it spiritual. For example the Bible could be talking about a literal city such as Jerusalem. A person who seeks to spiritualize such a passage would say something like this: That Scripture does not speak of Jerusalem here on earth. Instead, it is talking about the spiritual Jerusalem one day in the future in heaven. By doing that all meaning to that Scripture about Jerusalem is lost. Instead it has been spiritualized to some kind of spiritual/heavenly realm that does not directly apply here on earth. By doing such a thing, a literal verse in the Bible will be spiritualized and thus ignored.
The core of this tract is found in Revelation chapter 20 where it speaks of a 1000 year time period. This is clearly a literal 1000 year time period. We will see that the 1000 years is even repeated several times in Revelation 20 so there can be no mistake about it. However, the amillennialist takes that literal 1000 year time period and then spiritualizes it. Next, all references to the 1000 year time period are ignored because they are considered to be a spiritual application and not a literal one. The whole amillennial doctrine hangs on this one chapter in Revelation. If the 1000 years are a literal time period then amillennialism is dead. It is then proven to be a false and incorrect view of prophecy. In this tract we will show how it does not make any sense if you try to spiritualize the 1000 years. We'll start by looking closer at Revelation 20.
REVELATION CHAPTER 20
In this section we will look closer at Revelation chapter 20. The verses that talk about the 1000 year period will be highlighted and explained. Later we will look at how the amillennialist spiritualizes this literal time period.
Revelation 20
1. And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key
of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is
the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
Notice that the devil is taken and bound for 1000 years. All this happens at Armageddon when Jesus will return physically to earth at the mount of Olives in Jerusalem.
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the THOUSAND years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
The devil will be bound for 1000 years. Also notice during that time there will be 'nations' on earth. This will occur during the Millennial reign of Christ. Near the end of the 1000 year period the devil will be released for a short time.
4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and [I saw] the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received [his] mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a THOUSAND years.
When Jesus rules on earth ... so will His people. They will rule with the Lord Jesus Christ during the Millennium. Again another reference to the 1000 year period. (pretty clear isn't it!) The Bible is talking about a literal 1000 year time period.
5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the THOUSAND years were finished. This [is] the first resurrection.
The lost have to wait for 1000 years. At the end of that time they will be judged at the White Throne judgment and thrown in to hell (the lake of fire). (see verse 11)
6 Blessed and holy [is] he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a THOUSAND years.
Another reference to the 1000 year period....and those who will reign with the Lord Jesus for 1000 years.
7 And when the THOUSAND years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
Another reference to the 1000 year period. Do you think God is trying to make a point by referring to the 1000 year reign of Christ again and again? The Bible is not dealing with a figure of speech here. No the 1000 years means 1000 literal years!
8 And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the
four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them
together to battle: the number of whom [is] as the sand of
the sea.
9 And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and
compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved
city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured
them.
The rebellion at the end of the 1000 year period is short and God deals quickly with it.
10 And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet [are], and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
So we have the devil bound for 1000 years...and then he is released a short time....and then he is thrown into the lake of fire. The false prophet and the antichrist have already been in the lake of fire during that 1000 year period.
Just by reading the above from Revelation 20 we can see that the word THOUSAND means a literal 1000 years. There is no other logical alternative!
WHAT DOES THE AMILLENNIALIST DO?
So what does the amillennialist do with all the clear references to the 1000 year period found in Revelation 20? The answer is simple. Those verses are ignored as they have been all spiritualized into some non-earthly type of meaning.
How does the amillennialist spiritualize the literal 1000 year period found again and again in Revelation 20? Well, they do it by a process of 'word redefinition'. How does this work? It is really quite simple. Just redefine one of the words to mean something other than what it means and then the whole meaning of Revelation 20 changes. Next question, which word does the amillennialist redefine? Have a look at the following Scripture to see the redefined word:
Psalms 50:10
10 For every beast of the forest [is] mine, [and] the cattle
upon a thousand hills.
The answer to the question, is that the word the amillennialist redefines is the word: thousand. They redefine that word by using the Scripture at Psalms 50:10. If you read that verse in context, I would agree that it is not talking about a literal 1000 hills. Instead the word thousand stands for ALL hills. On that point I would agree with the amillennialist. However, they do not stop there. Because of this verse the word 'thousand' does not mean 1000 anymore (to them). Instead it means 'everywhere' or 'all' just as it does in Psalm 50:10. This is what the amillennialist does. They take their redefined word: thousand, and apply it in Revelation chapter 20. This is how they can say there is no literal 1000 year kingdom. You see the word 1000 does not mean a literal 1000 to the amillennialist. Instead they put in the word 'thousand' as it applies to Psalms 50:10 into Revelation chapter 20.
This is pretty crazy isn't it! I look at the above and just shake my head. Can people really be that blind? The amillennialist is stating that because the verse in Psalms uses 'cattle on a thousand hills', the word 'thousand' may be redefined to mean something else. Because of that verse they redefine the use of one thousand (999 + 1) to mean something other than what it really means. I would agree that the above verse in Psalm 50:10 is indication ALL hills but I get that from the CONTEXT in how it is used. However I would never be so crazy to take that verse and apply it to the book of Revelation which clearly uses thousand to mean 999 + 1. But that is what the amillennialist does! Lets look closely because this demonstrates the concept of word redefinition that is used by the amillennialist. Ultimately, it totally refutes the amillennialist's position!
Here is the next question. Is the amillennialist consistent with word redefinition of the word 'thousand'? The answer is no. The redefinition is not used everywhere the word 'thousand' occurs, but just where it is needed to 'prove' the amillennialist's warped doctrine. What we have here is Scripture twisting and outright deception. You see the amillennialist needs to get rid of the 1000 year literal time period found in Revelation chapter 20. If Revelation 20 cannot be nullified then amillennialism is dead. However, by word redefinition and by using Psalms 50:10 they accomplish that goal. They literally nullify Scripture so it can be ignored. However, if they are wrong (which they are) then the whole amillennial doctrine comes falling down and is exposed for the false teaching that it really is. This is the case!
The amillennialist is not consistent with word redefinition as previously mentioned. What they actually do is only redefine the word 'thousand' in places where it suits their doctrinal beliefs. It is amazing how the amillennialist twists Scripture to force it into their pet false doctrine. Why do they only redefine the word 'thousand' in the book of Revelation? Why not do it in other places in the Bible? They could at least be consistent and redefine the word 'thousand' in every occurrence in Scripture! But, as shown, the amillennialist is not being consistent.
To illustrate this point, lets look at another Scripture that uses the word 'THOUSAND' and see if the word redefinition works here.
Genesis 20:16
16 And unto Sarah he said, Behold, I have given thy brother
a THOUSAND [pieces] of silver: behold, he [is] to thee a
covering of the eyes, unto all that [are] with thee, and with
all [other]: thus she was reproved.
Should the meaning of 'thousand' be redefined in the above verse? Would it make sense to say that 1000 pieces of silver were NOT given but rather ALL silver.... The 'silver on a thousand hills' ... Do you get my drift! Why doesn't the amillennialist be consistent and use his redefined word everywhere the word 'thousand' occurs in the Bible. They don't because they only need to use word redefinition in Revelation 20. This is where the Scriptures contradict their false doctrine of amillennialism. Genesis 20:16 does not refute amillennialism so it is left alone. Revelation chapter 20 disproves amillennialism so it must be 'dealt' with. This is very sad.
Here is another verse that uses the word 'thousand'. Lets see if word redefinition works here:
Exodus 32:28
28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses:
and there fell of the people that day about three THOUSAND
men.
Should the redefined meaning for the word 'thousand' be used here also. Would it make sense if we interpreted the above verse to mean 'all men' or the 'men on a thousand hills'? It wouldn't make sense to me. I think three thousand means three thousand! It also makes perfect sense that Revelation chapter 20 is referring to a literal 1000 year period and not some 'spiritual symbolic' thing like the amillennialist would have you to believe.
I have a saying that I made up about people who twist Scripture and turn literal things in Scriptures into spiritual things: 'They spiritualize the literal which makes them oblivious to the obvious!' What a dangerous thing to do!
I hope my examples show that the concept of word redefinition is quit deceptive and dangerous. The word 'thousand' cannot be redefined in Revelation chapter 20 to mean something other than 999 + 1. However, against all reason the amillennialist has done such a thing. Please re-read the above if you don't understand the concept of word redefinition and do not let yourself be caught in such a demonic trap.
CONCLUSION:
We have shown that one verse can not be used to to redefine a word used in another verse. We have also showed how inconsistent the amillennialist is with word redefinition. Only the verses in Revelation 20 that prove amillennialism wrong are redefined. Other verses that use the same word are not redefined.
What should be done? Show this information to an amillennialist and let him have a chance to make up his own mind. Will he continue to incorrectly divide the Word of God just to justify an incorrect doctrine? One day the answer to that will be given before the throne of God. That is something to think about!
I just wanted to add something at the end of this tract. I heard someone try to argue that Revelation chapter 20 cannot be literal because the chain used to bind the devil cannot be a literal chain. This is really crazy reasoning. Do you really thing God will go to a hardware store to get some kind of chain to bind the devil? This is very common amillennial reasoning. Revelation chapter 20 refutes the position so it must be made non-literal sripture so it could then be ignored. When we get to heaven there will be streets of gold, mansions, the throne of God, saints, and angels. Doesn't it make sense to say that things in heaven will not like they are here? I don't know what kind of chain will be used to chain up the devil but I'm sure God has something in existence that will do the trick. The devil will certainly be bound and Revelation chapter 20 is very literal Scripture!
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