“And they came to life and ruled as kings with the Christ for a thousand years.” (Revelation 20:4c)

13. (a) How should we view the thousand years during which the 144,000 rule, and why? (b) How did Papias of Hierapolis view the thousand years? (See footnote.)

¹³ Their reigning and judging will be for a thousand years. Is this a literal thousand years, or should we view it symbolically as being an undefined, long period of time? “Thousands” may mean a large, indefinite number, as at 1 Samuel 21:11. But here the “thousand” is literal, since it appears three times in Revelation 20:5-7 as “the thousand years.” Paul called this time of judgment “a day” when he stated: “He [God] has set a day in which he purposes to judge the inhabited earth in righteousness.” (Acts 17:31) Since Peter tells us that one day with Jehovah is as a thousand years, it is appropriate that this Day of Judgment be a literal thousand years.c​—2 Peter 3:8.