Premillennialism

{{Short description|Christian eschatological view}}

{{Short description|Christian eschatological view}}

{{About|Premillennialism in Christian eschatology||Millenarianism}}

{{About|Premillennialism in Christian eschatology||Millenarianism}}

{{Christian Eschatology}}

{{Christian eschatology|Millennial views}}

'''Premillennialism''', in [[Christian eschatology]], is the belief that [[Jesus]] will physically return to the Earth (the [[Second Coming]]) before the [[Millennialism#Christianity|Millennium]], heralding a literal thousand-year [[Messianic Age|messianic age]] of peace. Premillennialism is based upon a [[Biblical literalism|literal]] interpretation of [[Revelation 20]] ({{Bibleref2|Revelation|20:1–6}}) in the [[New Testament]], which describes Jesus's reign in a period of a thousand years.

'''Premillennialism''', in [[Christian eschatology]], is the belief that [[Jesus]] will physically return to the Earth (the [[Second Coming]]) before the [[Millennialism#Christianity|Millennium]], heralding a literal thousand-year [[Messianic Age|messianic age]] of peace. Premillennialism is based upon a [[Biblical literalism|literal]] interpretation of [[Revelation 20]] ({{Bibleverse|Revelation|20:1–6}}) in the [[New Testament]], which describes Jesus's reign in a period of a thousand years.

Premillennialism is in contrast to [[amillennialism]] and [[postmillennialism]] beliefs. Amillennialism interprets {{Bibleref2|Revelation|20:1–6}} as pertaining to the present time, and holds that Christ currently reigns in [[Heaven (Christianity)|Heaven]] with the departed [[saints]]. This interpretation views the symbolism of Revelation as referring to a spiritual conflict between Heaven and [[Christian views on Hell|Hell]] rather than a physical conflict on Earth. Amillennialists do not view the thousand years mentioned in Revelation as a literal thousand years, but see the number "thousand" as symbolic and [[Numerology|numerological]] and see the kingdom of Christ as already present in the church beginning with the [[Pentecost]] in the book of [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]]. Denominations such as [[Oriental Orthodoxy]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Catholicism]], [[Anglicanism]], [[Calvinism]]{{Cite web |title=Question & Answer: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church |url=https://opc.org/qa.html?question_id=300 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=opc.org |language=en}} and [[Lutheranism]] are generally amillennial. Postmillennialism views the millennial rule as a [[Golden Age]] in which [[Christian ethics]] prosper through preaching and redemptive work, David T. Steineker, ''The Greatest Commandment: Matthew 22:37'' (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2010), p. 132. but occurring before the second coming.

Premillennialism is in contrast to [[amillennialism]] and [[postmillennialism]] beliefs. Amillennialism interprets {{Bibleverse|Revelation|20:1–6}} as pertaining to the present time, and holds that Christ currently reigns in [[Heaven (Christianity)|Heaven]] with the departed [[saints]]. This interpretation views the symbolism of Revelation as referring to a spiritual conflict between Heaven and [[Christian views on Hell|Hell]] rather than a physical conflict on Earth. Amillennialists do not view the thousand years mentioned in Revelation as a literal thousand years, but see the number "thousand" as symbolic and [[Numerology|numerological]] and see the kingdom of Christ as already present in the church beginning with the [[Pentecost]] in the book of [[Acts of the Apostles|Acts]]. Denominations such as [[Oriental Orthodoxy]], [[Eastern Orthodoxy]], [[Catholicism]], [[Anglicanism]], [[Calvinism]]{{Cite web |title=Question & Answer: The Orthodox Presbyterian Church |url=https://opc.org/qa.html?question_id=300 |access-date=2022-11-22 |website=opc.org |language=en}} and [[Lutheranism]] are generally amillennial. Postmillennialism views the millennial rule as a [[Golden Age]] in which [[Christian ethics]] prosper through preaching and redemptive work,David T. Steineker, ''The Greatest Commandment: Matthew 22:37'' (Bloomington, IN: WestBow Press, 2010), p. 132. but occurring before the second coming.

Premillennialism is often used to refer specifically to those who adhere to the beliefs in an earthly millennial reign of Christ as well as a [[rapture]] of the faithful coming before (dispensational) or after (historic) the [[Great Tribulation]] preceding the Millennium. In the 20th century, the belief became common in [[Evangelicalism]] according to surveys on this topic.Survey -Premillennialism Reigns in EvangelicalTheology [http://nae.net/premillennialism-reigns-in-evangelical-theology/ Survey]

Premillennialism is often used to refer specifically to those who adhere to the beliefs in an earthly millennial reign of Christ as well as a [[rapture]] of the faithful coming before (dispensational) or after (historic) the [[Great Tribulation]] preceding the Millennium. In the 20th century, the belief became common in [[Evangelicalism]] according to surveys on this topic.Survey -Premillennialism Reigns in EvangelicalTheology [http://nae.net/premillennialism-reigns-in-evangelical-theology/ Survey]

Many traditional denominations continue to oppose the concept of a literal millennial kingdom. The [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] explicitly states, "When Christ returns, 'new heavens and a new earth' will be created ([[2 Peter|2 Pet.]] 3:10-13)." The [[catechism of the Catholic Church]] teaches in paragraph 676 that the millennium is to be understood as "beyond history":

Many traditional denominations continue to oppose the concept of a literal millennial kingdom. The [[Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod]] explicitly states, "When Christ returns, 'new heavens and a new earth' will be created ([[2 Peter|2 Pet.]] 3:10-13)." The [[catechism of the Catholic Church]] teaches in paragraph 676 that the millennium is to be understood as "beyond history":

{{Quote|text=The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church|source=para. 676}}

{{Blockquote|text=The Antichrist's deception already begins to take shape in the world every time the claim is made to realize within history that messianic hope which can only be realized beyond history through the eschatological judgment. The Church has rejected even modified forms of this falsification of the kingdom to come under the name of millenarianism, especially the "intrinsically perverse" political form of a secular messianism.|title=Catechism of the Catholic Church|source=para. 676}}

Whalen has noted that modern premillennialism is "criticized roundly for naïve scholarship which confuses the [[Poetry|poetic]] and inspirational [[prose]] of prophecy with [[fortune telling]]", though "Premillennialists retort that they merely follow the Word of God, regardless of ridicule." He then notes that, nevertheless, "the virtual theology which surrounds premillennialism is today stronger and more widely spread than at any time in history."Robert K. Whalen, “Premillennialism” in ''The Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements,'' Ed. [[Richard Landes|Richard A. Landes]] (New York: [[Routledge]], 2000), 332.

Whalen has noted that modern premillennialism is "criticized roundly for naïve scholarship which confuses the [[Poetry|poetic]] and inspirational [[prose]] of prophecy with [[fortune telling]]", though "Premillennialists retort that they merely follow the Word of God, regardless of ridicule." He then notes that, nevertheless, "the virtual theology which surrounds premillennialism is today stronger and more widely spread than at any time in history."Robert K. Whalen, “Premillennialism” in ''The Encyclopedia of Millennialism and Millennial Movements,'' Ed. [[Richard Landes|Richard A. Landes]] (New York: [[Routledge]], 2000), 332.

* [[Le Roy Edwin Froom|Froom, Le Roy Edwin]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120205133654/http://www.adventistarchives.org/documents.asp?CatID=79&SortBy=0&ShowDateOrder=False ''Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers. The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation'']. 4 Vols. Review and Herald, 1946–54. ASIN B0006AR2YQ. An enormously comprehensive history of eschatological thought. Froom is an [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventist]] but this is not overly apparent in the work. It is currently out of print.

* [[Le Roy Edwin Froom|Froom, Le Roy Edwin]]. [https://web.archive.org/web/20120205133654/http://www.adventistarchives.org/documents.asp?CatID=79&SortBy=0&ShowDateOrder=False ''Prophetic Faith of Our Fathers. The Historical Development of Prophetic Interpretation'']. 4 Vols. Review and Herald, 1946–54. ASIN B0006AR2YQ. An enormously comprehensive history of eschatological thought. Froom is an [[Seventh-day Adventist Church|Adventist]] but this is not overly apparent in the work. It is currently out of print.

* Hill, Charles F. ''Regnum Caelorum: Patterns of Millennial Thought in Early Christianity''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. {{ISBN|0-8028-4634-3}}. Hill questions the legitimacy of early premillennial thought by analyzing an apparent paradox in the early chiliast theology, particularly the [[Hades|intermediate state]].

* Hill, Charles F. ''Regnum Caelorum: Patterns of Millennial Thought in Early Christianity''. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2001. {{ISBN|0-8028-4634-3}}. Hill questions the legitimacy of early premillennial thought by analyzing an apparent paradox in the early chiliast theology, particularly the [[Hades|intermediate state]].

* [[George Marsden |Marsden, George]]. ''Fundamentalism and American Culture'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022 (3rd Ed.) {{ISBN|978-0197599495}}. The history of late 19th C.-present premillenialism in the United States and its impact on the general culture.

* [[George Marsden|Marsden, George]]. ''Fundamentalism and American Culture'', Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2022 (3rd Ed.) {{ISBN|978-0197599495}}. The history of late 19th C.-present premillenialism in the United States and its impact on the general culture.

* Mühling, Markus, "Grundwissen Eschatologie. Systematische Theologie aus der Perspektive der Hoffnung", Göttingen: [[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]], 2005. {{ISBN|978-3-8252-2918-4}}, 209–214.

* Mühling, Markus, "Grundwissen Eschatologie. Systematische Theologie aus der Perspektive der Hoffnung", Göttingen: [[Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht]], 2005. {{ISBN|978-3-8252-2918-4}}, 209–214.