Viewpoints on the Millennium of Peace
Publish date:
Aug 12, 2009
Summary:
Modern theological trends place great emphasis on the millennium of peace. Three major viewpoints on the millennium are amillennialism, postmillennialism, and premillennialism.
The word millennium means “a thousand years.” Bible scholars use it to describe the period in Revelation 20:4 when Christ will reign with His followers for a thousand years. "A thousand years" is referred to six times in Revelation 20:1-7.
Modern theological trends place great emphasis on the millennium. To most, it is the long-awaited period of peace brought about by the binding of Satan and the reign of Christ. The various viewpoints differ, however, on the details of these events. Current concepts can be summarized as follows:
Amillennialism
This view does not allow for a specific thousand-year reign, but applies the period to the whole of Church history. The period will culminate in the earth made new. The Old Testament prophecies pertaining to the Kingdom apply to Christ's spiritual reign in the Church. Roman Catholics and some conservative Protestant groups hold this view.
Postmillennialism
According to this view, the Kingdom is a present reality because Christ reigns in His Church. Also, this view states that all nations will be converted to Christ prior to the coming of Christ. The period prior to His coming will be peaceful and the Gospel will be spread to all nations. At the end of the millennium, there will be a period of apostasy and tribulation brought on by the reign of the Antichrist.
It is thought that Christ returns at the end of the millennium, and there is a single resurrection of the people who accepted God's way, and those who rejected Him. The resurrection of God's people (the first resurrection of Revelation 20) is equated with the new birth and is not considered literal. Both the Lutheran Augsburg Confession and the Puritan Westminster Confession express this view.
Premillennialism
This view suggests that Christ returns before the millennium to physically rule on the earth for a thousand years. The next article will discuss two variations of this doctrine: dispensational premillennialism and historic premillennialism.
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This article is adapted from Truth Matters by Professor Walter J. Veith, an international speaker who has studied Biblical issues in-depth in his quest for truth. His popular series Genesis Conflict brings the debate between Creation and evolution to a new climax as he dissects the arguments with a scientific eye. His highly-acclaimed series Total Onslaught sheds light on the state of the world today as we move to a one-world government and an anticipated apocalypse.
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