This week’s blog will begin a minor study in what theologians’ call “eschatology.” To give a quick definition of this theology we will look at Charles Ryrie, “eschatology means the theology of last things.”[1] So, eschatology is the study of the end times, the things that are still future to us in this age in which we live known as the Church Age. Over the next couple of weeks, we are going to be discussing the three views of the coming millennial reign of Christ at His Second Coming. For this week, however, I will just lay out these three views and briefly give a little information about each. The three most popular views of eschatology are amillennialism, post-millennialism, and pre-millennialism.
In order to begin, we need to look at the word “millennium” and discover what it means and where it come from. Daryl Aaron settles that for us, “The term millennium, from the Latin word for ‘thousand years,’ is based on the opening verses of Revelation 20, which speak of Christ reigning for a thousand years.”[2] Now with the understanding of what the millennium is and from where it is derived-as far as it relates to these views-we know that these views have a scriptural starting point.
The first of these views to be discussed is the Amillennial view. This view is referred to as the non-millennial view, “a” means “non.” The belief behind this view is that there will be no literal, physical earthly reign of Christ at His Second Coming. Although, this belief is based in scripture amillennialism takes a more figurative or spiritual interpretation of scripture. For instance, they see the whole of the Book of Revelations as a figurative description of the end times instead of literal interpretation. Nevertheless, they believe in Christ’s reign but see it in a different manner, than say, the pre-millennialist. Again, Aaron points out, “it is believed His reign began at his first coming, so He is reigning now—either on earth in the lives of believers individually and the church corporately (the majority amillennial view), or in heaven, as Christ sits at the right hand of His Father (a more recent, minority amillennial view).”[3]
The next view, Post-millennialism (“post” means “after”), is also based in scripture, yet, like the previous view it is more grounded in a figurative interpretation than literal. Loraine Boettner describes it best, “That view of last things which holds that the kingdom of God is now being extended in the world through the preaching of the Gospel and the saving work of the Holy Spirit in the hearts of individuals, that the world is eventually to be Christianized, and that the return of Christ is to occur at the close of a long period of righteousness and peace commonly called the “Millennium.” … The second coming of Christ will be followed immediately by the general resurrection, the general judgment, and the introduction of heaven and hell in their fullness.”[4]
So, in short, this belief believes that Christ comes after the 1,000 years of peace that will be ushered in by the church through the preaching of the gospel. After the church Christianizes the world, Christ will appear and raise the dead, judge the world, and bring in eternity. But until then Christ reigns “in absentia” through the church (His followers).
The final view we are going to look at in the Pre-millennial view, this is the view where I personally place my faith. “Pre” means “before” or “prior to,” therefore, this view refers to Christ’s coming before the millennium starts, and it takes a more literal view of the Scriptures. With the belief in a literal thousand-year reign of Christ from the throne of David in Jerusalem after His Second Coming. This view holds that “when He (Christ) comes back, believers who have died will be raised from the dead, their bodies will be reunited with their spirits, and these believers will reign with Christ on earth for one thousand years.”[5] Christ reign will be perfect, righteous, peace will be worldwide because Satan’s influence will be removed for a time. As it states in Revelations 20: 2-3, “And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended.”[6]
To conclude for this week, I hope that there is a basic understanding of the different millennial views. Hopefully, if the Lord is willing, the next couple of weeks will lead to more understanding.
Blessings,
Pat
[1] Charles Caldwell Ryrie, Basic Theology: A Popular Systematic Guide to Understanding Biblical Truth (Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 1999), 508–509.
[2] Daryl Aaron, Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2012), 196.
[3] Daryl Aaron, Understanding Theology in 15 Minutes a Day (Minneapolis, MN: Bethany House Publishers, 2012), 197.
[4] Loraine Boettner, The Millennium (Nutley, N.J.: Presbyterian and Reformed, 1957), 14.
[5] Wayne A. Grudem, Systematic Theology: An Introduction to Biblical Doctrine (Leicester, England; Grand Rapids, MI: Inter-Varsity Press; Zondervan Pub. House, 2004), 1112.
[6] The Holy Bible: English Standard Version (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2016), Re 20:2–3.