It seems that all the arguments against a literal millennium center around two ideas. The first of these is that the scriptures teach that the earth will be destroyed by fire immediately after the Lord returns to judge the world for its wickedness. This notion centers mostly around the claim that it all happens on "the day of the Lord," which these people think means a single, 24 hour revolution of the earth on its axis.
As this argument pops up very often, some time ago I wrote the following about the scriptural expressions "the day of the Lord" and "the last day."
This expression occurs 18 times in the Old Testament. And every time it is used, the Hebrew word which was translated day is yom. This is word number 3117 in Strong's Greek dictionary, and is defined by Strong as follows:
Thanks for posting all that writer. I've copied it off and put it with my notes. I'll be getting around to studying that in more depth sometime soon and your ntes will come in quite handy.
"From an unused root meaning to be hot; a day (as the warm hours), whether literally (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figuratively (a space of time defined by an associated term), (often used adverbially):—age, + always, + chronicles, continually (-ance), daily, ([birth-], each, to) day, (now a, two) days (agone), + elder, X end, + evening, + (for) ever (-lasting, -more), X full, life, as (so) long as (. . . live), (even) now, + old, + outlived, + perpetually, presently, + remaineth, X required, season, X since, space, then, (process of) time, + as at other times, + in trouble, weather, (as) when, (a, the, within a) while (that), X whole (+ age), (full) year (-ly), + younger."
So we clearly see that, although yom often means a literal 24 hour day, it is also often used figuratively to designate a period of time. Here are just a few of the numerous times this was done.
“In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction. In that day there will be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar to the LORD at its border.” (Isaiah 19:18-19)
“In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian will come into Egypt and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians will serve with the Assyrians. In that day Israel will be one of three with Egypt and Assyria--a blessing in the midst of the land, whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, ‘Blessed is Egypt My people, and Assyria the work of My hands, and Israel My inheritance.’” (Isaiah 19:23-25)
“And in that day it shall be That living waters shall flow from Jerusalem, Half of them toward the eastern sea And half of them toward the western sea; In both summer and winter it shall occur. And the LORD shall be King over all the earth. In that day it shall be-- ‘The LORD is one,’ And His name one.” (Zechariah 14:8-9) This example is particularly significant because the term “that day” is explicitly stated as a time that includes both “summer and winter.”
Further, the expression “the day of the Lord” is used in Ezekiel 30:3 in regard to a coming attack by Nebuchadnezzar upon Egypt, Ethiopia, and Libya, and Lydia, and all the mingled people, and Chub, and the men of the land that is in their league.( Ezekiel 30:1-19)
This is absolute proof that the scriptural term "the day of the Lord" does not refer to a specific 24 hour period of time.
Like the Hebrew word translated day, the Greek word translated day in the expression "the last day" is hemera (word number 2250 in Strong's Greek dictionary.) Strong defines this word as follows:
"Feminine (with G5610 implied) of a derivative of ἡμαι he-mai (to sit; akin to the base of G1476) meaning tame, that is, gentle; day, that is, (literally) the time space between dawn and dark, or the whole 24 hours (but several days were usually reckoned by the Jews as inclusive of the parts of both extremes); figuratively a period (always defined more or less clearly by the context):—age, + alway, (mid-) day (by day, [-ly]), + for ever, judgment, (day) time, while, years."
The figurative use of this word as a time is found in Luke 6:22-23. "Blessed are ye, when men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their company, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the Son of man’s sake. Rejoice ye in that day, and leap for joy: for, behold, your reward is great in heaven: for in the like manner did their fathers unto the prophets."
When they were hated, and separated from the company of the others, and reproached, and villified as evil, then they should rejoice. And the time when they should so rejoice is called "that day."
We see this again in John 8:56, where Jesus said, "Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad." Jesus' day went all the way back to the time of Abraham.
We see it again in John 16:23-27, where Jesus called all the time after his resurrection "that day." "And in that day ye shall ask me nothing. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whatsoever ye shall ask the Father in my name, he will give it you.Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name: ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full. These things have I spoken unto you in proverbs: but the time cometh, when I shall no more speak unto you in proverbs, but I shall show you plainly of the Father. At that day ye shall ask in my name: and I say not unto you, that I will pray the Father for you: For the Father himself loveth you, because ye have loved me, and have believed that I came out from God."
We see it again in Acts 8:1, where we read, "And Saul was consenting unto his death. And at that time there was a great persecution against the church which was at Jerusalem; and they were all scattered abroad throughout the regions of Judaea and Samaria, except the apostles." A persecution that only lasted one day would not scatter the entire church except for the Apostles. Yet the Greek word translated time in this sentence is this same Greek word hemera which literally means day.
We see this again in Acts 15:7, where peter said, "And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe." The Greek word translated while in this sentence is this same hemera, which literally means day. This same (correct) translation of hemera as while was done in Acts 18:18. "And Paul after this tarried there yet a good while, and then took his leave of the brethren, and sailed thence into Syria, and with him Priscilla and Aquila; having shorn his head in Cenchrea: for he had a vow."
We see it again in Romans 8:36, "As it is written, For thy sake we are killed all the day long; we are accounted as sheep for the slaughter." And in Romans 10:21, "But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people."
This is not all the examples we could examine, but we will stop with 2 Corinthians 6:2, "(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)"
All this is conclusive proof that neither the term “the day of the Lord” nor the term “the last day” necessarily refers to a specific 24 hour period. But many other scriptures clearly show that both of these terms refer to a period of time, not to a specific day.