These, too, will be fulfilled during the 1,000year reign. It sees the millennium as a future event preceded by a seven year period commonly known as the. The millennial reign of jesus christ inspiration ministries. This time of prophetic fulfillment is known as the messianic age, the kingdom age, or the millennial kingdom.
Amillennialism literally means no millennium, but such a label is not the best descriptor of the position. Origen seems to have led the opposition to the literal acceptance of the teaching of the millennium from the apocalypse of john. If the binding of satan is literal, christs reign is a literal reign on earth, and the resurrection of believers is a literal resurrection from the dead, then the thousand years must also be a literal definite period of time. Creativity, liberalism, cultural awareness, and sel. Twentiethcentury definitions are important, but how his contemporaries understood terms is essential.
Christ will return to institute a thousandyear reign on earth. A summary of the millennial kingdom end times commentary. This doctrine teaches that sometime in the future christ will return to this earth and begin a literal one thousandyear reign upon a literal throne in the middle east. The literal physical kingdom reign anticipated by the ot and. At the end of this time, a final rebellion and judgment are predicted revelation 20. Will this millennial period be a literal 1,000year period or is it a figurative, symbolic way to speak of christs future reign. The millennium or kingdom reign of christ and his saints is in existence for the period of time between christs 1st and 2nd coming. This would include, for example, all of matthew 2425 and, unbelievably, all of the book of revelation. Postmillennialism teaches the second coming of the lord. And it is compatible with multiple bible passages that place the kingdom reign of christ with his second coming to earth. The promise that abraham would father a great nation was both a personal and a national promise. The chart below provides a summary of the main characteristics of the. There are many people today that dont really believe that christ will physically come back to physically reign, but we are going to see this afternoon that he must come back, and he will reign.
Simply put, those who have become christians have experienced the first resurrection, inasmuch as they have crucified the flesh and been raised to walk in newness of life see rom. It is not our purpose here to describe the millennial kingdom at great length. Full preterist postmillennialism holds that all of the prophetic passages of scripture have already been fulfilled in the fall of jerusalem in 70 a. Youll hear that term used by some theologians, and. At the end of this church agemillennial period, there will be a time of tribulation that may or may not be a literal seven years after which christ will return visibly. The ultimate prophetic theme in the end times is jesus second coming to establish his kingdom on the earth.
The postmillennialist believes that the millennium is an era not a literal thousand years during which christ will reign over the earth, not from an literal and earthly throne, but through the gradual increase of the gospel and its power to change lives. There will be no literal historical reign of christ on earth for years. But what probably characterizes us the most is our dislike of labels. The thousand years in this view stand for a long period of time and do not designate a literal thousandyear reign. It is the most literal interpretation of the scripture and views the millennium as a literal 1,000 years. The word millennium is used to describe something not taught in the bible. Historic premillennialists, following some of the early church fathers, teach that the return of christ will precede a literal thousand years of peace in which christ would reign upon earth. Ezekiel 4346 offers the most developed prophecies regarding these practices as it deals with the jewish temple that will exist during the millennial kingdom and what takes place in it. The kingdom is either realized in the church on earth augustines view. Before we proceed with our study, it would be profitable for us to look at a few from an old testament prophet that had a great deal to say about christs millennial reign the prophet isaiah. The millennium will see the reestablishment of temple worship.
Premillennialism, in christian eschatology, is the belief that jesus will physically return to the earth the second coming before the millennium, a literal thousandyear golden age of peace. God reign, anticipated by the ot the literal physical kingdom prophets, during which god will fulfill all the ot promises to ethnic israel. This view that the return of jesus to earth ushers in the millennial kingdom is. The millennium will see the reestablishment of temple worship and sacrifice as a remembrance of christs sacrifice. This differs from the most widely accepted view called premillennialism the view that christs second coming will occur prior to his millennial kingdom and that the millennial kingdom is a literal 1,000year reign and from the lesswidely accepted view called postmillennialism the belief that christ will return after christians, not christ. Pre millennial literally means before millennium, or before the thousand years. Why i believe in a literal millennium believers magazine. A christians raptured into the air at the close of the church age who then return to earth with christ during his second coming to fight the battle of armageddon.
The third view is called the premillennial view and it is probably the most wellknown and accepted among most people that have an opinion. The saints, living and dead, shall meet the lord in the clouds immediately preceding the millennial reign. Understanding the millennial kingdom an overview of the millennial kingdom 1. This article seeks to put forward the so called pre millennial case for a literal 1,000 year reign of christ and his people on the earth. Some seek to interpret the years in an allegorical manner. Satan is currently at work in the world, influencing affairs and deceiving the nations. Paul writes to timothy of the kingdom and assures him that believers will reign with christ. The abrahamic covenant promised a land to abrahams seed.
Most major denominations hold to this false concept. A simple argument against premillennialism veritas fidei. The millennium the thousand year reign of christ introduction 1. Oct 21, 2008 amillennialism, for example, teaches that the millennial reign of christ is figurative, and began upon christs resurrection. The idea taken from revelation 20 is the centerpiece and foundation of all millennial theories. However, this messianic reign is not precisely 1,000 years in length and it is wholly spiritual in the sense that it is nonearthly, nonvisible, nonphysical, but no less literal in nature. Amillennialism, for example, teaches that the millennial reign of christ is figurative, and began upon christs resurrection. If we are going to believe the literal interpretation of the millennial kingdom, it is important that we understand that these unconditional covenants demand a literal, physical return of christ to establish his kingdom.
During the millennial kingdom, will there be animal. This millennial reign is not something to be looked for in the future. The millennial sabbath on earth will be followed by an eighth and eternal day in a new world, of which the lords day called by barnabas the eighth day is the type. Jesus, zionism, and the millennial generation israel my. Walvoord describes his premillennial faith as an interpretation that the. This is really a misnomer, however, because amillennialists do believe in a millenniumjust a symbolic one. Second coming of christ will occur before his literal reign of one thousand years on earth. Revelation 20 the thousandyear reign of christ on earth, over an earthly kingdom, is false teaching. I recently saw in the opening of an article on revelation these words, anyone who thinks he has said the last word on revelation is a fool. Since the prefix a means no or none, amillennialism is the view that there will be no literal reign of christ on the earth for 1,000 years. This premillennial view was the strong consensus position of the christian church of the first two hundred years. Pdf literally, millennialism refers to the belief, expressed in the. Without the thousandyear reign on earth, all these theories fail, along with the sectarian. We have read of a period of time that spans 1,000 years, the millennial reign of christ our lord.
This onethousandyear reign of christ happens between the battle of armageddon and the great white throne judgement i. A spiritual entity experienced on earth through the christianizing effect of the gospel. In a spiritual sense, satan is being bound and christs reign over the nations is being established with every heart that is changed through the preaching of the gospel. See additional resources on the millennial kingdom. Based on these options, the most likely scenario is that the millennial kingdom is a literal 1,000year period during which jesus christ will reign from davids throne in jerusalem. Furthermore, any view of the millennium depends on ones interpretation of revelation 20. The word millennium does not appear in the bible but words that mean millennium do appear repeatedly. Premillennial literally means before millennium, or before the thousand years. Since the prefix a means no or none, amillennialism is the view that there will be. The millennium, the final battle, and the final judgment. The purpose of the millennial kingdom revelationlogic. This is a topic surrounded by controversy much like the time of the rapture and the. The promise to that nation of specific land as an inheritance was clear. Oct 11, 2018 the timing of the millennium is not vital for the post millennial position.
This idea that israel will occupy the millennial kingdom receives support from isaiah chapter 11, which describes a time of wondrous peace during the reign of the messiah root of jesse, even among the wild animals e. The millennium is a literal 1,000year period in which jesus will rule the whole world from jerusalem in righteousness and peace. It is a large topic and the subject of scores of prophecies, especially in the ot. The millennial position of spurgeon 185 an understanding of millennial definitions of spurgeons time is vital to understanding his view on the subject. The term amillennial literally means no millennium. They understand the years as merely a figurative way of saying a long period of time, not a literal, physical reign of jesus christ on the earth.
The doctrine is called premillennialism because it holds that jesus physical return to earth will occur prior to the inauguration of the millennium. Christs second coming will occur after the millennium. During the millennial reign, the saints will have immortal. Amillennarists interpret the thousand years symbolically to refer either to a temporary bliss of souls in heaven before the general resurrection, or to the infinite bliss of the righteous after the. Many commentators believe this is an old testament description of the millennial kingdom. And yet the christian church as a whole has not taken kindly to millenari anism. It is a millennial or non millennial, because it denies the literal reign of christ on earth. Thus the first half of revelation 20 vision is not on earth, but rather in the. Holding to the belief that satan was bound at the first coming of christ, amillennialists believe that this present age between the first and second coming of christ is the fulfillment of the millennial kingdom. Under this view, jesus reigns in heaven over glorified believers as well as in the hearts of earthly believers. The millennial kingdom candlelight christian fellowship. Jesus second coming is before his millennial reign 2 millennium is a literal years 3 jesus physically reigns from davids throne in jerusalem 4 satan is bound years 5 a clear distinction between the church and israel.
The general point of agreement among those who hold to this belief is the denial of a literal reign of christ on the earth. The old testament is replete with prophecies that predict the future millennial reign of christ on earth. If the binding of satan is literal, christs reign is a literal reign on earth, and the resurrection of believers is a literal resurrection from the dead, then the thousand years must also be a. The imaginary millennial reign of christ on earth for a literal one thousand years is one of the hallmarks of the jehovahs witnesses, including several branches of that religious body. The millennial kingdom is the title given to the year reign of jesus christ on the earth. The a millennial interpretation is a denial that there will be a one thousandyear reign of christ after his return to earth. The literal physical kingdom reign anticipated by the ot and nt prophets. Each view is related to the coming millennial reign of jesus christ in his earthly kingdom promised to the nation of israel.
During the millennial kingdom, will there be animal sacrifices. Those thus resurrected reign in life with christ rom. The thousandyear reign of christ on earth is false. Jan 02, 2020 this differs from the most widely accepted view called premillennialism the view that christs second coming will occur prior to his millennial kingdom and that the millennial kingdom is a literal 1,000year reign and from the lesswidely accepted view called postmillennialism the belief that christ will return after christians, not christ. Postmillennialists generally see the millennial kingdom as a golden age ushered in by the church through the triumph of the gospel, not only in bringing.
There will be no literal, visible millennium on earth, and thus no literal reign of christ on earth over his kingdom. This will take place between the tribulation and the dissolution and replacement of the present world, the great white throne, and the eternal. The rapture is temporarily coincident with the second. A spiritual reality in which all christians partake presently by faith, but by sight at the consummation. However, there are many biblical prophesies that can only literally be fulfilled at a future date. The key to this passage is found in the words of the new testament. There are two main ways to understand the millennium. The third view is called the pre millennial view and it is probably the most wellknown and accepted among most people that have an opinion. The postmillennialist believes that the millennium is an era not a literal thousand years during which christ will reign over the earth. This is the view called postmillennialism post after millennial thousand years. Christ will return physically and visibly in order to usher in the millennial reignbut historic premillennialists disagree whether the reign of christ will be a literal thousand years or just a long period of time. They will remain on earth and enter the millennial kingdom. The literal millennial reign of christ on the earth, when christ will reign over the whole earththats now remade, will be just as god intended it to be.
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