THE MILLENNIUM AND THE CATHOLIC FAITH

Some Christians teach that Jesus will come a second time to reign on earth for 1,000 years and this is yet to happen. This is because of Revelation 20:4. The Roman Catholic Church and many Protestant Churches teach that 1,000 years is just a symbol for an indefinitely long period. To them the millennium is just a symbol for the time between when Jesus came as man to earth long ago and his second coming. See New Commentary on Holy Scripture and The Incredible Creed of Jehovah's Witnesses (page 18). Now it could be that Christ is being said to reign on earth from his second coming to the end of the world but not necessarily for a literal 1,000 years but for a very long time. There is no hint that the coming the verse refers to is the first coming of Jesus as man when he was born in Bethlehem. Also, Revelation stresses that Jesus is coming again soon. It could not contradict this by saying that Jesus will not return until a very very long time after his birth. Also, Revelation warns that Satan will do the best deceptions yet. And it says that Satan will be chained and unable to deceive all the nations during the reign. This implies he was able to do it before and did it for the angel who imprisoned him had to lock and seal the abyss where he was confined. If the Catholic interpretation of the reign is right then there is a contradiction! Also Revelation says that holy people who have been put to death will be resurrected to reign with Christ during the period. This can only be referring to something yet to come.

The Church only rejects the proper interpretation of Revelation 20:4 for it implies that nearly all people - if not all - were deceived by Satan until the angel stopped him. This would mean that the Church was apostate or very likely to be apostate and in the service of the Devil. The Roman Catholic Church claims to be the bride of Christ. This is a lie so it is really the bride of Satan.