Singalphile wrote:dwilkins asked:
Though John is the only one who used the term "thousand years", how important do you think it would be if the rest of Rev. 20 sounds strikingly similar to Daniel 7?
I don't know. I'll keep it in mind and keep reading ya'lls' thoughts for now.
The following is from Duncan's analysis (I don't know if someone pointed him to it):
If you take just the scene of the saints in Rev. 20 and overlay it with Daniel 7 I think you'll find that the whole of Rev. 20's scene of the saints seems to be one event in Daniel 7. In other words, we are used to seeing Rev. 20's saint material as two events (the seating of the saints and then the GWTJ). But, Daniel describes it as one event at the conclusion of the beast associated with Daniel. I trimmed some of the repetitious verses out, but I'd encourage anyone to go back and read the whole chapter slowly.
Daniel 7:1-28 (ESV)
[Introduction of the beats]
7 After this I saw in the night visions, and behold, a fourth beast, terrifying and dreadful and exceedingly strong. It had great iron teeth; it devoured and broke in pieces and stamped what was left with its feet. It was different from all the beasts that were before it, and it had ten horns.
8 I considered the horns, and behold, there came up among them another horn, a little one, before which three of the first horns were plucked up by the roots. And behold, in this horn were eyes like the eyes of a man, and a mouth speaking great things.
9
As I looked, thrones were placed, and the Ancient of days took his seat; his clothing was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool; his throne was fiery flames; its wheels were burning fire.
10
A stream of fire issued and came out from before him; a thousand thousands served him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him;
the court sat in judgment, and the books were opened.
11 I looked then because of the sound of the great words that the horn was speaking. And as I looked,
the beast was killed, and its body destroyed and given over to be burned with fire.
17 'These four great beasts are four kings who shall arise out of the earth.
18 But
the saints of the Most High shall receive the kingdom and possess the kingdom forever, forever and ever.'
21 As I looked, this horn made war with the saints and prevailed over them,
22
until the Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given for the saints of the Most High, and the time came when the saints possessed the kingdom.
25 He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the times and the law;
and they shall be given into his hand for a time, times, and half a time.
26
But the court shall sit in judgment, and his dominion shall be taken away, to be consumed and destroyed to the end.
27 And the kingdom and the dominion and the greatness of the kingdoms under the whole heaven shall be given to the people of the saints of the Most High; their kingdom shall be an everlasting kingdom, and all dominions shall serve and obey them.'
Revelation 20:4-15 (ESV)
4 Then
I saw thrones, and seated on them were those to whom the authority to judge was committed. Also
I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and
who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
reigned with Christ for a thousand years.
5 The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.
This is the first resurrection.
6 Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years.
11 Then
I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them.
12 And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and
books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done.
13 And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done.
14 Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire.
15 And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.
My point above is that Revelation 20's judgment seen includes all of the elements of the single judgment scene in Daniel 7. That reign at begins seems parallel to me.
I took a look ever all 138 uses of derivatives of aionios tonight and it is clear that most of the time grammatically singular uses refer to a single age while plural ones refer to things we associate with forever (like how long salvation lasts, or how long God will live). In this case, the kingdom is associated with things that last as long as God lives, so I'd suggest this means longer than a single age.
If this is so, then I have a hard time seeing the Bible describe the saint's reign ending, which is required for both premillennialism and amillennialism.
(if you haven't already done so, I hope you'll download a handy interlinear tool called ISA.
http://www.scripture4all.org/download/d ... _ISA20.php It's free. It makes doing such searches very easy).
Doug
