Amillennialism

According to reformed eschatology.

The Reformation adopted what the early Church taught respecting the return of Christ, the resurrection, the final judgment, and eternal life, and brushed aside the crass form of Chiliasm which appeared in the Anabaptist sects

Berkhof, L. (1938). Systematic theology (p. 663). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans publishing co.

Dictionary of Theological Terms Chiliasm

From the Greek word chilioi, “thousand,” this is the view, based on Rev. 20:1–5, that Christ will reign on earth for a thousand years following His second coming.* Chiliasm can be traced through church history to the very early days of NT Christianity.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

The a- in amillennialism negates the term; hence, amillennialism means there will not be a literal, future millennium.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

Amillennialists do not deny the literal return of Christ, but they reject a literal thousand-year reign of Christ on the earth. According to amillennialism, the kingdom of God is present in the church age, and at the consummation of the present age, the eternal state is inaugurated without any intervening millennium.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

For this reason some amillennialists suggest a term such as realized millennialism to indicate that they do not deny a millennium but believe it is fulfilled entirely in the present age.29

Revelation 20:4–6 NIV

I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years. (The rest of the dead did not come to life until the thousand years were ended.) This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

According to amillennialists, Revelation 20:4–6 to “the present reign of the souls of deceased believers with Christ in heaven” while the kingdom of God “is now present in the world as the victorious Christ is ruling his people by his Word and Spirit, though they also look forward to a future, glorious, and perfect kingdom on the new earth in the life to come.”30

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

According to amillennialists, Revelation 20:4–6 to “the present reign of the souls of deceased believers with Christ in heaven” while the kingdom of God “is now present in the world as the victorious Christ is ruling his people by his Word and Spirit, though they also look forward to a future, glorious, and perfect kingdom on the new earth in the life to come.”30

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

Some amillennialists interpret the book of Revelation according to progressive parallelism, wherein the Revelation consists of seven sections running parallel to each other, each depicting the church and the world from the time of Christ’s first advent to His second coming: chapters 1–3 to events of the first century but have present application; chapters 4–7 be the church suffering trial and persecution; chapters 8–11 envision the church avenged, protected, and victorious; chapters 12–14 describe the birth of Christ and opposition by Satan; chapters 15–16 describe God’s wrath on the unrepentant; chapters 17–9 depict the final fall of the forces of secularism and godlessness; chapters 20–22 describe the final doom of the enemies of Christ and the final triumph of Christ and the church.31

The Second Coming of Christ.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

Amillennialists understand the second coming of Christ as a single event; in contrast, dispensationalists understand Christ’s coming in two phases.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

Amillennialists teach that certain events must take place prior to the second coming; hence, the return of Christ cannot be termed “imminent” (meaning that Christ can come at any moment).32

The signs prior to the second coming of Christ are the following,

Matthew 24:14 NIV

And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Mark 13:10 NIV

And the gospel must first be preached to all nations.

Romans

Romans 11:25 NIV

I do not want you to be ignorant of this mystery, brothers and sisters, so that you may not be conceited: Israel has experienced a hardening in part until the full number of the Gentiles has come in,

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

(1) The calling of the Gentiles (Matt. 24:14; Mark 13:10; Rom. 11:25), in which the nations will be evangelized. Some among these will believe and constitute the “fullness of the Gentiles.”

Romans 11:26 NIV

and in this way all Israel will be saved. As it is written: “The deliverer will come from Zion; he will turn godlessness away from Jacob.

Matthew 24:9–12 NIV

“Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold,

Matthew 24:21–24 NIV

For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now—and never to be equaled again. “If those days had not been cut short, no one would survive, but for the sake of the elect those days will be shortened. At that time if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Messiah!’ or, ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect.

Matt 24:

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

(3) Great apostasy and the Great Tribulation (Matt. 24:9–12, 21–24; Mark 13:9–22; Luke 21:22–24). These events had a partial fulfillment in the destruction of Jerusalem but will also have a future fulfillment.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

(2) The conversion of Israel. “All Israel” in Romans 11:26 does not mean national Israel but rather the elect number of Israelites.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

(4) The revelation of Antichrist. There have been elements of Antichrist during Paul’s day and in the papal system of Rome, but Antichrist’s identity will eventually be fulfilled in an eschatological person.

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

(5) Signs and wonders. There will be wars, false prophets, astonishing satanic miracles, and signs in the heavens.

Acts 1:11 NIV

“Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

Christ will return at the “day of consummation”—the end of the world; no one, however, knows the time of His coming. The manner of His coming will be personal, physical, and visible (Acts 1:11);

The Moody Handbook of Theology Amillennialism

it is not to be equated with the coming of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. Unlike premillennarians who teach that Christ’s second coming is to establish His earthly kingdom, amillennialists teach that the purpose of Christ’s return is for “introducing the future age, the eternal state of things.”33 This will be accomplished by the resurrection of the dead and the final judgment.