Biblical Logos Blog

Revelation 21 and 22: Describing the Millennial Reign, Not the Eternal State

Introduction 

A fundamental question in eschatological interpretation centers on the timing and  setting of Revelation 21 and 22. Many distinguished theologians and Bible teachers,  particularly those following a pre-millennial, dispensational view (including Dr. John  Walvoord, Dr. Thomas Ice, and Dr. Andy Woods), place these closing chapters of  Revelation in what is called “the Eternal State” – the final condition of the heavens and  earth after all biblical prophecy has been fulfilled. 

This traditional view is based primarily on the contextual placement of these  chapters immediately following Revelation 20, which concludes with the Great White  Throne Judgment, the casting of Death and Hades into the Lake of Fire, and the final  disposition of the wicked. The logic appears straightforward: since these ultimate  judgments mark the end of all rebellion and temporal existence, what follows must  describe eternity itself. 

However, a careful examination of the internal evidence within Revelation 21- 22,  combined with supporting Old Testament prophecy and the overall structure of  Revelation, presents a compelling case that these chapters actually describe the beginning  of Christ’s millennial reign, not the post-millennial eternal state. This interpretation not only resolves several apparent contradictions but also provides a more coherent understanding of God’s prophetic program for both Israel and the Church. 

Problems with the Eternal State View 

The Presence of Sin and Sinners 

The most significant challenge to placing Revelation 21-22 in the eternal state lies  in the repeated references to sin, sinners, and the need for exclusion and protection from  evil. Consider these problematic passages: 

Revelation 21:8 – “But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as  for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion  will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”

This verse uses future tense (“will be”), suggesting these categories of sinners still  exist and must be dealt with, rather than having already been consigned to their final  judgment. If Revelation 20 has already concluded with all the wicked being cast into the  Lake of Fire, why does Revelation 21:8 speak as though this judgment is still future? 

Revelation 21:27 – “But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who  does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb’s book  of life.” 

The phrase “will ever enter” implies ongoing vigilance against potential  contamination. In a truly eternal state, where all evil has been permanently removed, such  warnings would be unnecessary. 

Revelation 22:15 – “Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually  immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices  falsehood.” 

This verse presents perhaps the strongest evidence against the eternal state  interpretation. It clearly indicates that wicked people exist “outside” the holy city during  the time described. Various commentaries attempt to resolve this by suggesting the Lake  of Fire is somehow visible from the New Jerusalem, but this strains the natural reading  of the text. 

The Presence of Nations and the Need for Healing 

Revelation 22:2 states that “the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the  nations.” This presents two significant problems for the eternal state view: first, the  continued existence of “nations” as distinct entities, and second, their need for “healing.” 

In the eternal state, God will be “all in all” (1 Corinthians 15:28), and the  distinctions between peoples, nations, and governments that characterize temporal existence will have ceased. The very concept of “nations” requiring healing suggests an ongoing process of restoration and governance, not the perfected, unchanging condition  of eternity. 

Biblical Context Arguments 

The Book’s Intended Audience 

Understanding Revelation’s primary audience provides crucial interpretive insight.  The book explicitly addresses the seven churches of Asia Minor and, by extension, the universal Church: 

Revelation 1:1-6 – “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to  show to his servants the things that must soon take place… John to the seven  churches that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was  and who is to come… To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his  blood and made us a kingdom, priests to his God and Father…” 

The book’s scope and contents are specifically “for the Church,” addressing those  who have been “freed from sins by his blood.” This ecclesiological focus suggests that  the climactic vision of the New Jerusalem represents the fulfillment of promises made  specifically to the Church, not a universal description encompassing all of redeemed  humanity. 

Fulfillment of Promises to the Seven Churches 

A remarkable pattern emerges when comparing the promises made to the seven  churches in Revelation 2-3 with the descriptions found in Revelation 21-22. These  correlations strongly suggest that the latter chapters describe the fulfillment of the former  promises during the millennial period: 

The Tree of Life (Ephesus): 

Revelation 2:7 – “To the one who conquers I will grant to eat of the tree of  life, which is in the paradise of God.” 

Revelation 22:14 – “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have  the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates.” 

Protection from the Second Death (Smyrna): 

Revelation 2:11 – “The one who conquers will not be hurt by the second  death.” 

Revelation 20:14 – “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This  is the second death, the lake of fire.” 

Authority over the Nations (Thyatira): 

Revelation 2:26-27 – “The one who conquers and who keeps my works until  the end, to him I will give authority over the nations, and he will rule them with a  rod of iron…” 

Revelation 22:5 – “And they will reign forever and ever.” 

The New Jerusalem (Philadelphia):

Revelation 3:12 – “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the  temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of  my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes  down from my God out of heaven…” 

Revelation 21:2 – “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of  heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.” 

Sitting on Christ’s Throne (Laodicea): 

Revelation 3:21 – “The one who conquers, I will grant him to sit with me  on my throne, as I also conquered and sat down with my Father on his throne.” 

Revelation 22:3 – “No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of  God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him.” 

Timing Arguments: Creation’s Liberation and Restoration 

Romans 8:19-21 and the Revealing of the Sons of God 

The Apostle Paul provides crucial insight into the timing of creation’s restoration  in his letter to the Romans: 

Romans 8:19-21 – “For the creation waits with eager longing for the  revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly,  but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free  from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children  of God.” 

This passage establishes a direct connection between creation’s liberation from the  curse and “the revealing of the sons of God.” The question becomes: when does this  revealing occur? Paul indicates in verse 18 that this revealing is “not in this present age,  but in a time to come.” The most natural interpretation identifies this revealing with the  moment when the saints return to earth with Jesus at His Second Coming (Revelation  19:14), not after a thousand-year delay. 

If the earth must wait an additional millennium after Christ’s return for its renewal,  then creation’s groaning continues throughout the very period when righteousness is  supposed to reign and Christ governs from His throne. This seems inconsistent with the  immediate liberation Paul describes. 

Acts 3:20-21 and the Times of Refreshing 

Peter’s sermon in Acts provides additional chronological clarity:

Acts 3:20-21 – “That times of refreshing may come from the presence of the  Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must  receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the  mouth of his holy prophets long ago.” 

Peter directly connects “times of refreshing” with Christ’s return (“from the  presence of the Lord”) and “the restoring of all things.” The natural sequence Peter  presents is: (1) Christ’s return, (2) times of refreshing, (3) restoration of all things  prophesied. This supports the view that the “new heavens and new earth” begin with  Christ’s millennial reign, not after it concludes. 

The condition of the earth immediately following the Tribulation period – with its  massive earthquakes, environmental devastation, and millions of casualties – would  certainly require the kind of comprehensive “refreshing” and restoration described in  these passages. 

Literary Structure Evidence: William Kelly’s Retrospective Pattern 

The Pattern of Chronological Completion Followed by Detailed Retrospection 

William Kelly, a respected 19th-century biblical expositor, identified a crucial  literary pattern within the Book of Revelation that significantly impacts the interpretation  of chapters 21-22. Kelly observed that throughout Revelation, the Holy Spirit follows a  consistent method: completing a chronological sequence of events, then returning to  provide detailed, retrospective examination of particular subjects or periods within that  sequence. 

This pattern appears clearly in Kelly’s analysis of Revelation 14, where the chapter  first presents the 144,000 firstfruits, then moves through the harvest of the earth, and  finally details the vintage judgment – a complete chronological sweep. However, the  following chapters return to elaborate on specific aspects of these events, providing moral  and theological details that illuminate the previous chronological framework. 

Application to Revelation 21-22 

Kelly argued that Revelation follows this same pattern in its concluding chapters.  The chronological sequence reaches its completion in Revelation 20:11-15 with the Great  White Throne Judgment and the final disposition of all rebellion. However, rather than  immediately moving into eternity proper, the Spirit returns in Revelation 21:9-22:5 to  provide a detailed, retrospective view of the New Jerusalem during the millennial period.

The Suspended City Argument 

Resolving the Apparent Contradiction 

One of the strongest objections to placing Revelation 21-22 in the millennial  period comes from an apparent biblical contradiction. Revelation 21:4 states that “death  shall be no more,” while Isaiah 65:20, in its description of the new heavens and new earth,  indicates that “the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a hundred  years old shall be accursed.” How can both passages refer to the same time period? 

The solution lies in understanding that these passages describe the same time  period but different locations and populations. The key insight comes from recognizing  the distinction between the heavenly New Jerusalem and the earthly Jerusalem during the  millennium. 

Two Jerusalems, Two Populations 

During Christ’s millennial reign, two distinct but related realities exist  simultaneously:

The Heavenly New Jerusalem: This is the dwelling place of the glorified Church,  which “comes down out of heaven from God” (Revelation 21:2). The inhabitants of this  city possess resurrection bodies and are therefore beyond the reach of death. For them,  truly “death shall be no more.” 

The Earthly Jerusalem: This is the restored and renewed capital of Israel,  populated by mortal believers who entered the millennial kingdom in their natural bodies.  These inhabitants experience greatly extended lifespans and ideal conditions, but remain  mortal until the end of the thousand years. 

The Suspended City Concept 

Various biblical scholars have proposed that during the millennium, the New  Jerusalem appears “over” the earth rather than descending into it, serving as the seat of  Christ’s government and the source of light for the earthly realm below. This concept  finds support in several biblical passages: 

Isaiah 60:1 – “Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the  LORD has risen upon you.” 

The earthly Jerusalem will be illuminated by glory from above, suggesting a  heavenly source of light. 

Ezekiel 43:5 – “The Spirit lifted me up and brought me into the inner court,  and behold, the glory of the LORD filled the house.” 

God’s glory fills the millennial temple, connecting earthly worship with heavenly glory. 

I have explored this crucial distinction in detail in another post, examining how the parallel passages in Revelation and Isaiah illuminate different aspects of the same millennial period, resolving the apparent contradiction while maintaining the integrity of both  prophetic descriptions. 

Biblical Precedent: The Transfiguration 

The Transfiguration provides a preview of this arrangement, where heavenly glory  (Moses and Elijah with the glorified Christ) was visible to earthly observers (Peter,  James, and John) without the heavenly participants leaving their exalted state or the  earthly observers being translated. 

Early Church Fathers’ Support 

Justin Martyr’s Testimony

The early church father Justin Martyr (A.D. 110-165) provided explicit support for  connecting the new heavens and new earth with the millennial period. In his “Dialogue  with Trypho,” he wrote: 

“For Isaiah spake thus concerning this space of a thousand years:  Forthere shall be the new heaven and the new earth, and the former shall  not be remembered, or come into their heart; but they shall find joy and gladness in it, which things I create. For, Behold, I make Jerusalem a  rejoicing, and My people a joy; and I shall rejoice over Jerusalem, and  be glad over My people.” 

Justin Martyr explicitly identified Isaiah’s prophecy of the new heavens and new  earth with “this space of a thousand years,” directly contradicting the modern tendency  to separate these prophecies from the millennial period. 

The Epistle of Barnabas 

The first-century Epistle of Barnabas also supports this chronological  understanding. Chapter XV states: 

“And He rested on the seventh day. This He meaneth; when HisSonshall  come, and shall abolish the time of the Lawless One, and shall judge the  ungodly, and shall change the sun and the moon and thestars, then shall  he truly rest on the seventh day.”

Barnabas connected the cosmic changes (including the transformation of “sun and  moon and stars”) with the seventh millennium – the thousand-year rest that follows  Christ’s Second Coming. This early interpretation placed the renewal of creation at the  beginning of the millennial period, not after it. 

The Significance of Early Church Testimony 

These early church witnesses are particularly valuable because they wrote before  the allegorical interpretation methods that later led to the spiritualization of millennial  passages. Their literal approach to prophetic interpretation and their temporal proximity  to the apostolic period lend weight to their understanding of these crucial passages. 

The Marriage Metaphor and Jewish Wedding Pattern 

The Jewish Wedding Customs as Prophetic Pattern 

The relationship between Christ and the Church is consistently portrayed in  Scripture through the metaphor of marriage, with specific parallels to Jewish wedding  customs that illuminate the timing of events in Revelation 19-22. 

The traditional Jewish wedding process included these essential elements:

1. Betrothal Period: The bridegroom prepares a place in his father’s house 

2. The Taking Away: The bride is brought to the father’s house for the private  ceremony 

3. The Return and Celebration: The couple returns to the bride’s community  for the public feast 

4. Establishment of the Household: The couple takes up residence in the  prepared dwelling 

The Prophetic Application 

This pattern finds precise fulfillment in the prophetic program revealed in  Revelation: 

Preparation of the Place: 

John 14:2-3 – “In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would  I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place  for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be  also.” 

The Rapture (Taking Away): 

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 – “For the Lord himself will descend from heaven  with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the  trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who  are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the  air, and so we will always be with the Lord.” 

The Marriage in Heaven: 

Revelation 19:7-9 – “Let us rejoice and exult and give him the glory, for the  marriage of the Lamb has come, and his Bride has made herself ready; it was  granted her to clothe herself with fine linen, bright and pure—for the fine linen is  the righteous deeds of the saints. And the angel said to me, ‘Write this: Blessed are  those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.’” 

The Return for Public Celebration:

Revelation 19:14 – “And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white  and pure, were following him on white horses.” 

Establishment of the Permanent Dwelling: 

Revelation 21:2-3 – “And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down  out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard  a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man.  He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with  them as their God.’” 

The Timing Implication 

The crucial insight from this pattern is that the establishment of the permanent  dwelling (the New Jerusalem’s descent) occurs at the beginning of Christ’s earthly reign,  not after it concludes. Just as the Jewish bride and groom established their household  immediately following the public celebration, so Christ and His bride take up residence  in the New Jerusalem at the commencement of the millennial kingdom. 

If the New Jerusalem’s descent were delayed until after the millennium, it would  violate both the marriage pattern and the specific promise made to the church at  Philadelphia: 

Revelation 3:12 – “The one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the  temple of my God. Never shall he go out of it, and I will write on him the name of  my God, and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which comes  down from my God out of heaven, and my own new name.” 

The promise “never shall he go out of it” indicates permanent residence. If the  Church must wait a thousand years for this residence to be established, the promise is  effectively suspended for that entire period. 

Supporting Evidence from Isaiah 65 

The Parallel Prophecy 

Isaiah 65:17-25 provides perhaps the clearest Old Testament parallel to Revelation  21-22, explicitly connecting the new heavens and new earth with conditions that can only  exist during the millennial period: 

Isaiah 65:17-20 – “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth, and  the former things shall not be remembered or come into mind. But be glad and  rejoice forever in that which I create; for behold, I create Jerusalem to be a joy,

and her people to be a gladness. I will rejoice in Jerusalem and be glad in my people;  no more shall be heard in it the sound of weeping and the cry of distress. No more  shall there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not  fill out his days, for the young man shall die a hundred years old, and the sinner a  hundred years old shall be accursed.” 

This passage presents an irrefutable argument against placing the new heavens and  new earth in the post-millennial eternal state. Isaiah describes a period when: 

• New heavens and new earth exist 

• Jerusalem is a center of joy 

• Weeping and distress are greatly reduced (but not eliminated) 

• Death still occurs, though lifespans are dramatically extended 

• Sinners are still present and face judgment 

These conditions perfectly match a millennial setting but are impossible in a true  eternal state where death and sin have been permanently eliminated. 

Peter’s Confirmation 

The apostle Peter explicitly connects the new heavens and new earth with the  period when “righteousness dwells”: 

2 Peter 3:13 – “But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens  and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” 

The millennial reign of Christ is precisely the period when righteousness will  dwell on earth through His personal presence and rule. To delay the new heavens and  new earth until after this period would mean that righteousness does not truly “dwell”  during Christ’s own reign – an untenable conclusion. 

The River of Life and Restoration 

The Source of Renewal 

Revelation 22:1-2 describes the river of life flowing from the throne of God and  the Lamb, with trees bearing fruit and leaves “for the healing of the nations.” This  imagery finds its parallel in Ezekiel’s vision of the millennial temple: 

Ezekiel 47:8-12 – “And he said to me, ‘This water flows toward the eastern  region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows  into the sea, the water will become fresh. And wherever the river goes, every living  creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this

water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will  live where the river goes… And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will  grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but  they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the  sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.’” 

The parallel is unmistakable: both passages describe healing waters flowing from  God’s sanctuary, producing trees whose leaves provide healing. Ezekiel’s vision is  universally understood to depict millennial conditions, strongly suggesting that  Revelation 22 describes the same period. 

The Process of Earth’s Restoration 

The devastated condition of the earth following the Tribulation period (Revelation  6:12-17; 16:17-21) necessitates comprehensive restoration before the millennial kingdom  can be established. The biblical evidence points to this restoration occurring at Christ’s  return, not after His thousand-year reign: 

Romans 8:21 – “That the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to  corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God.” 

Creation’s liberation coincides with the revelation of God’s children in glory – an  event that occurs at Christ’s Second Coming when the saints return with Him (Revelation  19:14). 

The Recompense Argument 

The Timing of Divine Judgment 

Revelation 22:12 provides crucial chronological evidence: “Behold, I am coming  soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.” The  key phrase “I am coming soon” clearly connects the recompense to Christ’s Second  Coming, not to a judgment occurring a thousand years later. 

This verse finds its parallel in Isaiah 40:10: “Behold, the Lord GOD comes with  might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense  before him.” Isaiah places this recompense at the time when God appears to Israel and  establishes His rule – precisely the millennial setting. 

The Sheep and Goats Judgment 

Matthew 25:31-46 describes a judgment of the nations that occurs immediately  following Christ’s Second Coming: “When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne.” This judgment determines  who enters the millennial kingdom, not who enters the eternal state. 

The timing and purpose of this judgment align perfectly with the references to  recompense in Revelation 22:12, supporting the millennial interpretation of Revelation  21-22. 

Conclusion 

The cumulative evidence from multiple lines of biblical interpretation converges  on a single conclusion: Revelation 21 and 22 primarily describe the conditions and  blessings of Christ’s millennial reign, not the post-millennial eternal state. This  interpretation: 

Resolves apparent contradictions between passages describing the elimination  of death and others indicating continued mortality during the period of new heavens and  new earth. 

Provides coherent fulfillment of the specific promises made to the seven  churches in Revelation 2-3, demonstrating the book’s internal unity and purpose. 

Maintains consistency with Old Testament prophecies, particularly Isaiah 65,  which clearly associates the new creation with millennial conditions. 

Follows sound hermeneutical principles by recognizing the literary structure of  Revelation and the pattern of chronological progression followed by detailed  retrospection. 

Upholds the integrity of the marriage metaphor and Jewish wedding customs that  pattern the relationship between Christ and His Church. 

Confirms the testimony of early church fathers who understood these prophecies  in their literal, millennial context. 

Rather than relegating Revelation’s magnificent conclusion to a distant, post temporal eternity that offers little practical relevance to the Church’s present calling, this  interpretation presents the New Jerusalem as the immediate and glorious destination of  the faithful Church – the very throne from which she will reign with Christ over the  nations during His thousand-year kingdom. 

This understanding transforms Revelation 21-22 from a remote vision of the  ultimate future into an imminent hope that should motivate present faithfulness and  service. The promise to the Church at Philadelphia takes on immediate relevance: “The  one who conquers, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God. Never shall he go

out of it, and I will write on him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my  God, the new Jerusalem, which comes down from my God out of heaven” (Revelation  3:12). 

The New Jerusalem is not merely our eternal destination – it is our millennial  home, the seat of our reign with Christ, and the fulfillment of every promise made to the  faithful Church. This is the blessed hope that should stir our hearts and strengthen our  resolve as we await His soon return.

Image used is Eternal Solace

Creator: Paul Weeks 

Copyright: Paul Weeks Photography