Revelation 20:1 Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, having the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. 2And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; 3and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were finished. After these things he must be released for a short time.
Much can be said about eschatology and I think it wise to be humble in this area, as I am not convinced that anyone has nailed it down. Nevertheless, I am still inclined towards premillennialism and will give my reasons, based on these texts, why I remain unconvinced of postmillennialism. Postmillennialism being these ideas; 1. That Christ returns after this 1,000 period (hence the name, postmillennialism). 2.That this 1,000 year period is not a literal 1,000 years, but a figurative number representing this current age, the Church Age. And that Christ is reigning through the Church right now. 3. That the Church will ebb and flow in power, size, and influence until it evangelizes the world, prompting the return of Christ. Postmillennialism is sometimes referred to as an "optimistic" eschatology whereas premillennialism is referred to as "pessimistic." A charge I find to be unfair.
Proponents of postmillennialism deny many of the premillennial concepts, such as the reign of the Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, the Rapture, etc. They usually point out that the Church has only grown since it's founding, and that it will only keep growing, despite the difficulties.
Here is where I take issue with it on a textual basis, if this is the 1,000 year reign right now, then Satan is currently bound right now, he no longer is able to deceive the nations. But what does Paul say?
2 Corinthians 4:3 And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4in whose case the god of this age has blinded the minds of the unbelieving so that they might not see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. 5For we do not preach ourselves but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your slaves for the sake of Jesus.
The god of
this age (eon), the devil, has blinded the minds of the unbelievers so that they might not see the truth of the Gospel. Does that sound like Satan is currently bound and no longer able to deceive the nations?
Revelation 20:7 And when the thousand years are finished, Satan will be released from his prison, 8and will come out to deceive the nations which are in the four corners of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together for the war; the number of them is like the sand of the seashore. 9And they came up on the abroad plain of the earth and surrounded the camp of the saints and the beloved city, and fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil who deceived them was thrown into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are also, and they will be tormented day and night forever and ever.
But after the 1,000 years are over, Satan is still released for a time. So even in a postmillennial schema, the Great Tribulation seems to be unavoidable.
Premillennialism is not above it's fair share of criticisms as well and so I try not to be dogmatic on these issues, but these passages leave little room for me to be a postmillennialist. At the end of the day, Christ will return bodily, and His kingdom will know no end. Whether that happens in the premillennial, postmillennial, or other schema, it will happen according to God's Will and it will rebound to His Glory.