Amillennialism Study Archive @ PreteristArchive.com - The Internet's Only Balanced Look at Preterism @ PreteristArchive.com

Kenneth Kanzer (1987)
"Amillennialists do not believe in a literal thousand-year earthly reign of Christ following his return to Earth. The kingdom of God is viewed as both a present reality and a future hope. The kingdom began with Christ's birth and will be consummated at his Second Coming. As such, amillennialists distinguish between and inaugurated eschatology and a future eschatology. As far as the thousand years mentioned Revelation 20 are concerned, amillennialists believe we are now in the millennium. The souls of all believers who have died are now living and reigning with Christ in heaven. The resurrection of both believers and unbelievers will occur at Christ's return to Earth. In terms of the future, the Second Coming will be a single event rather that a series of events -- the Rapture, a period of tribulation, and the return of Christ -- understood by premillennialists. Believers who are alive will be transformed and glorified, meeting Christ in the air and then returning to Earth with Christ. At this point, the final judgment will send those who have rejected Christ to hell. Believers will enter into everlasting glory on the new earth. Heaven and the new earth will then be one." ("Our Future Hope: Eschatology and Its Role in the Church," Christianity Today 31: 7-I)

Kim Riddlebarger
"Understanding the difference between the amillennial hermeneutic and the dispensational hermeneutic is the key to understanding the essence of this debate. Every major dispensational theologian from Walvoord to Pentecost to Ryrie to MacArthur himself, insists that God has two distinct redemptive programs�one for national Israel and one for the Gentiles. MacArthur clearly affirms this dispensational presupposition in the quote above.

Reformed amillennarians reject this understanding of God's redemptive purposes. God�s purpose is not to save two distinct peoples (divided by ethnicity), but to save his people (the elect), a multitude which no man can number (Revelation 7:9), and which includes each and every one of those whom God has chosen, whether they be Jew or Gentile.

In Ephesians 2:11-22, Paul addresses this very point when discussing God�s redemptive purpose for Gentiles and national Israel. Here, Paul flat-out contradicts the dispensational assertion that God has distinct redemptive purposes for national Israel and for the church. According Paul, God�s purpose in the New Covenant is to remove the ethnic distinctions between Jew and Gentile (between Israel and the church) which had been dividing them. Paul says that Jesus came to tear down the barrier wall which formerly divided the two, in order to make the two peoples into one so as to form Jew and Gentile together into the one living temple of the Lord�the church. In this spiritual temple, Christ is the chief cornerstone, and the foundation is the prophets and apostles."

Here are a few reminders about Preterist Amillenarianism since there was a recent attempt to re-define it falsely:

What Amillennialism Is Not:

It does not deny the existence of a "millennium."
It does not require one to be a pedobaptist or immersionist.
It does not symbolize everything in the Bible.
It does not have a non-literal understanding of the Bible.
It does not hold to a literal "golden age" on earth like the many Postmillenarians.
It is not "replacement theology."
It is not anti-semetic.

What Amillennialism Is:

1. It follows a grammatical-historical-literal interpretation of the Scriptures which includes the allegorical interpretations. For example, Amilleniarians recognize that Galatians 4:21-31 is literally requiring its readers to recognize the allegorical or "spiritual" lessons God taught us in Genesis with reference to Sarah and Hagar. Such literal interpretive principles leads one only to conclude that Israel as an ethnic group in the OT was real but typological spiritually. And that Abraham's true offspring or true "Israel" has nothing to do with one's ethnicity but one's faith (Galatians 3:29).

2. It looks at the Bible as a unit which contains no contradictions.

3. It believes there is no �gap� in Daniel�s prophecy of Seventy Weeks, but that it was fulfilled with the desolation of the Temple and destruction of Jerusalem by Titus and the Roman army in 70 A.D. (as the Tribulation judgment against non-believing Israel).

4. It believes explicitly in the millennium of Revelation 20 as a complete period of time, the length of which is only known by God, and that the millennial kingdom of Christ began with His incarnation and will consummate at His Second Coming. It could better be called a �Realized Millennium.� It believes that the millennium is the literally the spiritual reign of Christ on earth in the kingdom of His church and in the saints in heaven. It believes entrance to the on-going millennium is gained solely through the new birth, and that John refers to this as the first resurrection in Revelation 20:6 (supported by Ephesians 2:1,5,6 and Colossians 2:13; 3:1.) It believes that every person who is born again immediately becomes a child of the King and immediately begins an eternal reign with that King, and that the present phase of that reign is a mere foretaste of what lies beyond the Second Coming.

5. It believes that although he cannot prevail against the Church, Satan still goes about as a roaring lion tempting, defying, deceiving, until Christ shall put him down finally at His Second Coming. It believes that good and evil will exist side by side until the harvest, which Jesus said will be the end of the world (Matt. 13:39). 15. It believes that Satan will be allowed to mount one final climactic antichrist rebellion and apostasy just before the Second Coming (Revelation 16:14; 20:7,8). It believes in only one first resurrection and only one last trump.

6. It believes the Second Coming of Christ to be a literal, visible, bodily coming. It believes that at the Second Coming all the saints, living and dead, will be raptured to meet the Lord in the air, given new spiritual bodies, and then escort their King to the earth. It believes that the millennium will end with the Second Coming of Christ followed by the judgments of the living and the dead, saved and lost (Matt. 13:24-30; 47-53) and the creation of a new heaven and earth. It views the Second Coming as the consummation of the Redemption story prior to everlasting glory on the New Earth.

Just to name a few of the many Amillenarians* and some of the many like-minded Post-millenarians:

Jay Adams
Augustine
Richard Barcellos
Herman Bavinck
G. K. Beale
Louis Berkhof
G. C. Berkouwer
John Calvin
B. H. Carroll
John L. Dagg
Mark Dever
Ligon Duncan
Sinclair Ferguson
John Frame
William Hendriksen
Anthony Hoekema
Dennis Johnson
Martyn Lloyd-Jones
Leon Morris
John Murray
J. I. Packer
A. W. Pink
Vern S. Poythress
Herman Ridderbos
Kim Riddlebarger
O. Palmer Robertson
Sam Storms
Ray Summers
Cornelius Van Til
Cornelis Venema
Geerhardus Vos
Samuel Waldron
Bruce Waltke
James White

... again, this list is the "short list"!

Go here for a longer list. And go here for more on Amillenarianism.

What do YOU think ?

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Comments

I don't understand how anyone who is a amill believe this view! I can't imagine what the bodies will look like when they come back to earth !

Comments

It's about time someone got to the point and explained what "amillenialism" means! I have read so many articles trying to figure out what it means, and they were so wordy, I never could figure out the meaning. This is much clearer! Thanks! :)Oh, btw, I don't agree with this view at all...makes no sense whatsoever. :)

Comments

The key word to the text is SOULS. Therefor, this resurrection is not a bodily one, but spiritual. John, for the comfort of the church (having just been shown the the tribulation that was already beginning) is shown what happens to soul of the christian at death. Even though they were killed, their SOULS lived, and reigned with Christ. These are those that took part in the first resurrection-or regeneration (they were saved ).

Comments

The only thing I can say about premillennialsim is that it makes for great books and movies. A lot of sales have come form it. That doesn't make it right though. I can only say, I hope they are right, but the Amil.. position makes more sense to me.

Comments

Not all Amillennilist are created equal. I don't believe people will be living on this present earth period after Jesus annilates it as per 2Peter3:10-13. I believe both the futurist and preterist have 'contrived' theories on what Peter says.. Preterist say that 'the age' was burned-up. Futurist say that it will only get a good purifying firery baptism before the beginning of the mill. Between the two The preterist sound more rational! The Earth either gets burned up or it doesn't or Peter is talking about something else. As you can see as an amillennialist I can't see people coming down to earth to judge when it has already been annilated along with the heavens.

Date: 19 Mar 2005
Time: 16:17:20

Comments:

interesting... as far as the comment concerning souls. show me a soul without a body? that doesn't make sense. my point being that your assumption and probably most is that the body and soul are distinct entities. as a hybrid physicalist i'd have to say that any talk of souls must be in the context of a body. i'm not gonna bother to explain other than saying the soul is an emergent self created by God through an interaction of biology and psychology... the mind/body phenomena.
concerning eschotology. i believe that we will be recreated in heaven with our new bodies. at death because the millinium of revelation is an image of God's reign being long, longer than any earthly reign. this will be propelled further along when Jesus returns for the second time to defeat our advasary... satan.

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Date: 21 Apr 2005
Time: 07:01:51

Comments:

I do agree with amillennial position. The main reason is that progressive revelation does not bring us to see future events as premillennialism sees it. Moreover, how could they explain the fact that the glorified Christ will be relating with a sinful humanity for 1,000 years without that humanity be destroyed by him. Do you remember what happened to the John in the Isle of Patmos when he saw the risen Christ?

Date: 10 Oct 2005
Time: 15:08:13

Comments:

the early church was ammillenial, the apostles creed and other early creeds spoke of a future coming of Chrsit to judge the living and the dead....The early church post 70 AD continued to write about a future coming of Chrsit, not past.

Date: 07 Feb 2006
Time: 15:19:20

Comments:

I would have to agree with Kenneth Kanzer's summary of ammillenialism except for one sentence: "Believers who are alive will be transformed and glorified, meeting Christ in the air and then returning to Earth with Christ.
1 Thess. 4 and 1 Cor. 15 speaks of the resurrection of the saints, but the second half of the sentence that speaks of the christians, after meeting Christ in the air,they then return with Christ to the Earth, is a misrepresentation. Scripture doesnt speak of the glorified Christians then returning to earth with Christ.
This assumption comes from Jude 14 "And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,..." the greek word for saints is "hagios" which means holy ones, which is the same word used for angels, or God's angelic host. This is made clear in 1 Thessalonians 1:7-8 "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his MIGHTY ANGELS, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ." This verse is clearly the same event as Jude 14, but here it is written "MIGHTY ANGELS" . Another verse speaking of the same event is 1 Thessalonians 3:13 "To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints."....here "saints" is the same greek word "hagios".
It is clear that all three of these verses: Jude 14,2 Thess.1:7-8,1 Thess.3:13 are all speaking of the same event, so at the consumation of the Kingdom at the return of our Lord Jesus Christ, he will return with the angelic host(not christians) and when he does, we who know Him, will meet him in the air!(1 Thess. 4:16-17) Hallelujah!

Date: 02 May 2006
Time: 07:19:38

Comments:

the fact that christ will reign upon this earth is
an irrefutable fact. this fact is supported by every single old testament profit. world events during the last 50 years substantuate the premise that second coming prophisies are to be taken literally. the book of revalation only fixed it's duration on this old earth for 1000 years.

Date: 19 Aug 2006
Time: 13:00:12

Comments:

Here's a hint to those who believe Christ isn't reigning on this earth. Who's Spirit to you think you have? And didn't Christ say to the Apostles that his coming wouldn't be with ones careful observation? Therefore, if someone says, "Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! No, it's a plane! Yes, it's Jesus Christ! AMEN! I say DO NOT BELIEVE THEM because the Son of Man will come as the lightening flashes from the east to west. And actually, he already came. I would suggest you read the letter Pliny wrote to Caesar after Jerusalem was destroyed. The fire was so bright when the temple was on fire, and even he being full of fear saw Angles in the Sky shouting Allelluia to the Highest! I'm pretty sure that the 7 year Jewish war was a clear indication to the early christians that Jesus had begun to reign. After all, who do you think permitted the Jews to be punished in this way? Otherwise, God would have stopped the Romans from doing so.

Date: 05 Sep 2006
Time: 07:51:28

Comments:

I just want an explanation of why Christ is indeed returning (again?) and when this will take place. If He "returned" in AD 70 (which technically shouldn't it be AD 64-65, not the "prophetic" 70?) then why is He coming again? Will He judge people then? If so, is this the "Great White Throne Judgment" of Rev. 20? And what of the "lake of fire/second death"? Don't these indicate a still future event (at least) of judgment on the earth (i mean the WHOLE WORLD, not just the land between the Mediterannean and the Jordan)? These questions need to be addressed by "Preterists."

Date: 22 Sep 2006
Time: 14:02:30

Comments:

Look at all the Scriptures about the kindgom of God and the thousand year reign of Jesus. I agree that the kingdom has a present aspect to it, as well as a future one. Jesus is preparing believers to rule and reign with him in the kingdom for a thousand years. Once that thousand years is over and the new heavens and earth come believers will live forever in that perfect kingdom.

Date: 15 Oct 2006
Time: 10:39:42

Comments:

Christ came as promised in 70 AD to fulfill God's wrath against the wealthy Jews considered to be false teachers, who robbed from the poor to sustain their wealth, who turned the temple of God into a den of theives, who crucified the God of heaven and the Son of man, and also who killed and beheaded many believers by permission of the Roman Empire. Jerusalem was spiritually "Babylon" which had become a home for demons and evil spirits. Thus, as Christ predicted in Matthew 24 during the Mt. Olivet discussion, Jerusalem was destroyed by a massive army. Over 1,000,000 estimated Jews were killed, and nearly 90,000 taken as slaves. Women ate their children as prophesied, the Pharisees and Saducess (spelling) became cold and bitter amongst themselves while they were surrounded by a wall built by the armies to contain them, and starve them out to defeat. Famine and diseases plagued the once rich and spoiled Jewish population. The prince of Rome was Titus who wasn't supposed to set foo
though,
and this would explain Islam. I believe Islam is the final enemy of God. All other religions are decaying, and the Kingdom Christ has set up will finally defeat Satan and his army. Christ rules on the earth now.....And for those who expect an eternal New Heaven and New Earth, you may be missing out; it's already here. Old Jerusalem was considered Old Heaven and Old Earth. Isaish chapter one refers to Israel as Heaven and Earth. Why? Because Jerusalem was the foundation of the world. But they didn't abide by the covanent, so because of their evil, God promised a better long lasting covanent, and an Israel which is from heaven. Paul teaches us what this Israel from Heaven is in Galatians....WE ARE the new Israel from Heaven filled with spiritual worshippers. For Christ himself said, "A time is coming when you will neither worship at this mountain or abroad, but will worship in spirit and in truth". And think about the Rod; what does it stand for?

Date: 03 Jun 2007
Time: 17:18:02

Comments:

I think it must be so gloriously wonderful to spiritualize Scripture to make it say what you want. The Bible is literally true, unless of course it is talking about the 2nd Coming, then we have to spiritualize that. Here's a thought: quit playing games with God's Word and let it say what it means and mean what it says.

Date: 13 Aug 2007
Time: 06:51:17

Comments:

The ammillennial position makes most sense to me. When Christ talked about the Kingdom of God, it was always in a spiritual sense. And as far the "great tribulation", seems to me there has always been times of great tribulation is the church - nothing new. In fact, we, the church, are called to join in Christ's suffering. "For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ to suffer for him...", Phil 1:29. The apostles saw this as a priveledge (Acts 5:41). The church is never going to reign on earth free of persecuation until after the final judgment. I believe most of the prophesies in Matt. 24 were fullfilled in 70 AD. It seems obvious that Christ is talking exclusively about the events surrounding the destruction of the temple and Jerusalem.

I have been studying this website for some time now and it has been a huge blessing to me. I agree with the person who stated:

"Dispensationism has to be drilled into a person by persons who had it drilled into them, because no one can pick up God's word and just come up with something as this heresy theory."

bigtallpaul