The Greek word chílioi, represented by G5507, is a plural term for a thousand. According to its usage statistics, it appears 11 times across 10 unique verses in the Bible. The word is primarily used to denote large, specific quantities of time or measure, with a heavy concentration in prophetic texts.
In scripture, G5507 is most famously used to define the millennial period in the book of Revelation. It is the length of time Satan is bound in the bottomless pit Revelation 20:2 and the duration for which the saints who had been beheaded for their witness live and reign with Christ Revelation 20:4. The word is also used to construct other specific prophetic timeframes, such as the "thousand two hundred and threescore days" mentioned in both Revelation 11:3 and Revelation 12:6. Beyond time, it is used for measure, as when blood from the winepress flows for "a thousand and six hundred furlongs" Revelation 14:20.
Several related words help contextualize the significance of G5507:
- G2094 étos (a year): This word is frequently paired with chílioi to define specific prophetic durations. It appears in the repeated phrase "a thousand years" throughout Revelation 20, such as when Satan is bound Revelation 20:2.
- G2250 hēméra (day): This term for a period of time is used comparatively with chílioi to illustrate a divine perspective on time, stating "one day is with the Lord as a thousand years" 2 Peter 3:8. It is also the unit of measure for the 1,260-day period Revelation 11:3.
- G4413 prōtos (first): This word is used to identify the "first resurrection," which precedes the thousand-year reign and makes participants immune to the second death Revelation 20:6.
- G1208 deúteros (second): As a counterpart to prōtos, this word describes the "second death," which has no power over those who partake in the first resurrection and reign for the thousand years Revelation 20:6.
The theological weight of G5507 is tied almost exclusively to its use in prophecy and eschatology.
- The Millennial Reign: The term is central to the concept of the millennium, a thousand-year period where Satan is bound Revelation 20:3 and believers reign with Christ Revelation 20:6. This period is set between the "first resurrection" and the final judgment.
- Divine Timelessness: The word is used metaphorically in 2 Peter 3:8 to contrast human and divine perceptions of time, explaining that with the Lord, "a thousand years" can be as "one day." This highlights God's eternal nature.
- Prophetic Measurement: In Revelation, chílioi serves as a building block for other significant numbers, such as the 1,260 days during which the two witnesses prophesy Revelation 11:3, emphasizing its role in defining specific, divinely appointed timelines.
In summary, G5507 chílioi is a numeral with profound theological significance. While its base meaning is simply a thousand, its biblical application is almost entirely within prophetic contexts. It defines the pivotal millennial reign in Revelation, illustrates the concept of God's eternal perspective on time, and forms a key component of other symbolic timeframes and measures in scripture.
TRV