Revelation 12 (WEB)

Thousand Years

Word Study· Steve Stanley
χίλιοι chílioi ·Strong's G5507

The word “thousand” is used eleven times in the NT, twice in 2 Pet 3:8, the rest in the book of Revelation. It is used to designate 1000 days, years and stadia. This phrase, “a thousand years,” is repeated six times in successive verses in Rev 20:2-7. The question in the book of Revelation is whether or not the number 1000 is used literally or figuratively. There is a great deal of symbolic language in Revelation, typical of apocalyptic literature. Certainly not every number should be taken as symbolic in Revelation or any apocalyptic writing. Normal rules of interpretation must apply: the author will find ways to clue the reader that a reference is intended as other than literal. There is no compelling reason to take most of the numbers related to time in Revelation as anything but literal, for example, the length of the tribulation (12:6). It is as if John wanted to emphasize the significance and literalness of the thousand-year period by repeating “a thousand years” six times in six verses. It is impossible to make an airtight case, but it does seem most reasonable to take the one thousand year, millennial reign of Christ described in this passage as literal.

Revelation 12 (WEB)

1A great sign was seen in heaven: a woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars. 2She was with child. She cried out in pain, laboring to give birth.

3Another sign was seen in heaven. Behold, a great red dragon, having seven heads and ten horns, and on his heads seven crowns. 4His tail drew one third of the stars of the sky, and threw them to the earth. The dragon stood before the woman who was about to give birth, so that when she gave birth he might devour her child. 5She gave birth to a son, a male child, who is to rule all the nations with a rod of iron. Her child was caught up to God and to his throne. 6The woman fled into the wilderness, where she has a place prepared by God, that there they may nourish her one thousand two hundred sixty days.

7There was war in the sky. Michael and his angels made war on the dragon. The dragon and his angels made war. 8They didn’t prevail. No place was found for them any more in heaven. 9The great dragon was thrown down, the old serpent, he who is called the devil and Satan, the deceiver of the whole world. He was thrown down to the earth, and his angels were thrown down with him.

10I heard a loud voice in heaven, saying, “Now the salvation, the power, and the Kingdom of our God, and the authority of his Christ has come; for the accuser of our brothers has been thrown down, who accuses them before our God day and night. 11They overcame him because of the Lamb’s blood, and because of the word of their testimony. They didn’t love their life, even to death. 12Therefore rejoice, heavens, and you who dwell in them. Woe to the earth and to the sea, because the devil has gone down to you, having great wrath, knowing that he has but a short time.”

13When the dragon saw that he was thrown down to the earth, he persecuted the woman who gave birth to the male child. 14Two wings of the great eagle were given to the woman, that she might fly into the wilderness to her place, so that she might be nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the face of the serpent. 15The serpent spewed water out of his mouth after the woman like a river, that he might cause her to be carried away by the stream. 16The earth helped the woman, and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed up the river which the dragon spewed out of his mouth. 17The dragon grew angry with the woman, and went away to make war with the rest of her offspring, who keep God’s commandments and hold Jesus’ testimony.

Thousand Years