Question: The Bible talks about Judgment Day. Is that day a literal day, or a span of time similar to a day being a thousand years? If you can, please supply Biblical references.

Dinu

Answer: Dear Dinu,

Thanks for your question. Opinions vary within Christianity about the "day" or time of judgment. As far as the length of time – we need to remember that the economy of God’s heaven is not the economy of our earth. We are time bound creatures, captured by time and space. God lives outside of time, so he does not have "days" as Peter tells us in 2 Peter 3:8 – with the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.

The period of time of 1,000 years, or the millennium, is mentioned that specifically only in one chapter of the Bible - Revelation 20 – in a book that is full of symbolism, numerology, metaphor, typology, etc. Revelation is written in apocalyptic genre, not intended to be interpreted literally. The question then is – should we/can we see this 1,000 years within the context and genre in which it is inspired by God as literal, or is it symbolic?

I cannot supply, for lack of time, other questions, and other commitments, as complete study on this topic – but Bible encyclopedias and dictionaries should help.

In Christ,

Greg Albrecht