Amillennialism is the name given to the belief that there will not be a literal 1,000-year reign of Christ. The people who hold to this belief are called amillennialists. Amillennialism means "no millennium." This differs from the most widely accepted view called premillennialism (the view that Christ’s second coming will occur prior to his millennial kingdom and that the millennial kingdom is a literal 1,000-year reign) and from the less widely accepted view called postmillennialism (the belief that Christ will return after Christians, not Christ Himself, have established the kingdom on this earth).
However, the amillennialists do not believe that there is no millennium at all. They just don't believe in a ‘literal’ 1,000-year reign of Christ on earth. Instead, they believe that Christ is now sitting on the throne of David and that this present Church age is the kingdom over which Christ reigns. Amillennialists believe that the kingdom of God was founded by Christ at the time of his sojourn on earth, is operative in history now and is destined to be revealed in its fullness in the life to come. They understand the kingdom of God to be the reign of God dynamically active in human history through Jesus Christ. Its purpose is to redeem God’s people from sin and from demonic powers, and finally to establish the new heavens and the new earth. The kingdom of God means nothing less than the reign of God in Christ over his entire created universe.
The strength of amillennialism is its belief of the fact that the kingdom of God is present in one sense and future in another implies that we who are the subjects of that kingdom live in a kind of tension between the “already” and the “not yet” (realized eschatology). We are already in the kingdom, and yet we look forward to the full manifestation of that kingdom; we already share its blessings, and yet we await its total victory. Because the exact time when Christ will return is not known, the church must live with a sense of urgency and total commitment to Christ, realizing that the end of history may be very near. At the same time, however, the church must continue to plan and work for a future on this present earth which may still last a long time. Meanwhile, the kingdom of God demands of us all total commitment to Christ and his cause. We must see all of life and all of reality in the light of the goal of the redemption not just of individuals but of the entire universe.
The weakness of the amillennialists is they do not believe that the kingdom of God involves the literal restoration of the throne of David. Nor do they believe that because of the unbelief of the Jews of his day Christ postponed the establishment of the kingdom to the time of his future earthly millennial reign. In order for God to keep His promises to Israel and His covenant with David (2 Samuel 7:8-16; 23:5; Psalm 89:3-4), there must be a literal, physical kingdom on this earth. To doubt this is to call into question God’s desire and/or ability to keep His promises, and this opens up a host of other theological problems. For example, if God would renege on His promises to Israel after proclaiming them to be “everlasting,” how could we be sure of anything He promises, including the promise of salvation to believers in the Lord Jesus? The only solution is to take Him at His word and understand that His promises will be literally fulfilled.
(Sources taken from “Amillennialism” by Anthony Hoekema, and “What is Amillennialism?” www.gotquestions.org)
18 comments:
Hi Andrew,
Looking from your post, you don't seem to agreed with the amillennialism view.
Can you share about your stand, which seem favoring pre millennium, if I'm correct.
Thanks.
Hi, Andrew, You have expalined the streangths and weaknesses of the Ammellenialism very well, thank you. How to resolve it then. Does the Bible support the Ammillenial view or not? You must have a stand, don't you?
To Jerome... My stand is that I believe in the literal one thousand years of Christ's reign in the earth as opposed to the amillennialists. But I agreed with the portion of their belief in regards to 'realized eschatology.' I also favored the premillennialist view...
dear andrew, read your post with intrest and also your reply to jerome, my Q is- isn't all this our view and the reality of this can be totally different. your take please. GB
Hi Joe... Can you please clarify more on the statement 'the reality of this can be totally different' a bit more, or rather in what sense. I don't quite get it. TQ..
Dear Andrew,
Your done well in your explanation of Amillennialism but how do you reconcile what the word of God in the book of revelation 20:4-6 says about the millenial reign of Christ for a period of 1000 years in this earth do you agree with this or are you a supporter of Amillennialism.
Dear Andrew,
Thank you for your explanation. i think in which millenium we are in is not the issue. the important thing is are we prepared if Christ were to come today?
Hi, Ndru C, it is hard to blog on something you don't believe in, but that is our assignment. You've done well! I do agree with Amilleninnialism partially too that Christ is ruling with His Kingdom established spiritually now. The "Present Age" and "The Age To Come" has overlapped. Thank you for sharing ! But I am looking forward to the "Real Coming of Christ and that He will rule the earth, not only during the Millennium, but also for ever and ever and ever!
Hi Andrew,
You quoted quite lengthy from “Amillennialism” by Anthony Hoekema. Thanks for your hard-work. My understanding of Amillennialism is of spiritual sense, and the reign of Christ is spiritually. There is literally no future, no millennium. Therefore, the kingdom of God is not physical at all. The great Final Judgment will immediately follow the 2nd Coming of Christ. Your source seems to tell you otherwise, that the amillennialists actually do believed in millennium, and the dispute is only on the 'literal' 1000 years - reign of Christ on earth. Could you clarify you personal stand?
To Freedie... I think be it the source that I quoted from is correct concerning amillennialism, then I think though the amillennialists may not believe in the literal 1000 years, they do believe it to be 'metaphorical.' In other words, it represents a period of Christ's reign that has already begun spiritually in the hearts of men like you mentioned, but is yet to reach its consummate end in the future.
To Jonathan... Well, I think we share the concept of realized eschatology as of the amillennialists. Only that they don't believe there is a 'literal' 1000 years period when Christ will reign over the earth.
To Raymond... According to our interpretation of the Scripture, we believe that there is a 'literal' 1000 years of Christ's reign in the earth. But to the Amillennialists, they believe the statement (1000 years) to be 'metaphorical.' Hence the reason why it is said the Amillennists do not believe that there is no millennium at all, because they interpret it to be a 'metaphorical' language denoting a period of time, but not literally 1000 years.
Hi Andrew,
Thanks for your reply. Like you said, 'literal' 1000 years is just metaphorical in their belief.
To Eunice... Ya. We should yield our lives to let the Holy Spirit prepare us to be the Bride without spot and wrinkle worthy of the Bridegroom..
I think the concept of tension between the now and the not yet is rather difficult to grasp.
Anyway, another weakness of the amillennialist view is apparently the issue of the two resurrections. They would have to deny that the prophet John was speaking about two separate physical resurrections of different groups of people. Their argument would be that the first resurrection is spiritual and then the second one is bodily or physical.
Hi Andrew,
From your post i realise that churches are encourage to reach and do more on the great commission but not many are paying attention to it, what do you think about it.
Dear Andrew,
The Amillennialist believe that Christ is now sitting on the throne of David and that this present Church age is the kingdom over which Christ reigns.
But if they belief in such, then the world and Christians as whole will not go through so much suffering and tribulations.
when you stated you agreed with some of their stand regard to 'realized eschatology' can you explain why?
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