Premillennialism vs.
Amillennialism
Premillennialism
vs.
Amillennialism
By: J.B. Hixson, Th.M.
Excursus on
Postmillennialism
™ Though postmillennialism largely died
out after WWI, it is making a comeback
among some former amillennialists.
Today it is also know as
"reconstructionism"
reconstructionism" or "dominion
theology.“ It became popularized in
recent years through the writings of R.J.
Rushdoony and several of his followers.
This view believes that the millennium
will come through the preaching of the
gospel and the imposition of the Old
Testament Law.
Excursus on
Postmillennialism
™ Reconstructionist David Chilton writes:
™ "The entire Gentile world will be
converted to faith in Jesus Christ. The
mass of the Gentiles will come into the
covenant until the conversion of the
Gentiles reaches the point of "fullness."
™ "As the gospel progresses throughout
the world it will win, and win, and win,
until all the kingdoms become the
kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ:
and He will reign forever and ever."
™These terms are used to answer the
question: When is the second
coming of Christ relative to the
earthly kingdom of Christ?
¾Pre: 2nd Coming occurs before the
kingdom
¾Post: 2nd Coming occurs after the
kingdom
¾Amil:
Amil: There is no earthly kingdom.
Excursus on
Postmillennialism
™ You may also hear the phrase
“theonomic postmillennialism.”
™ Theonomy (meaning "law of God") sees
no distinction between the church and
Israel and therefore believes the whole
Mosaic structure is operative for today.
™ Furthermore, theonomists believe it is
the duty of the church to bring civil
powers into subjection to God’s law, with
its precepts and penalties.
Critique of
Reconstructionism
™Reconstructionism suffers from the
same problem of amillennialism:
adherence to an allegorical
hermeneutic.
™The law of Moses was given to the
nation of Israel, not to the church.
™The close of this present age will be
marked by apostasy, not by the
triumphal success of the gospel.
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 Critique of Eschatology in Church
Reconstructionism History
™Reconstructionism strives for ™PATRISTIC ERA (A.D. 100-
100-430)
consistency in its approach. It takes ¾The earliest Christians looked for three
things: (1) the return of Jesus Christ; (2) a
the mistaken understanding of the cataclysmic end to the present age; and
unity of the Church and Israel to its (3) a bodily resurrection.
logical extreme. ¾The early church fathers were
premillennial. They looked for a literal
™If the church is Israel, then the laws return of Christ to establish His kingodm.
kingodm.
of Israel should be enforced today. ¾Notable premillennialists in the early
church were Papias (60-
(60-130), Irenaeus
(130-
(130-200), Justin Martyr (100-
(100-165), and
Tertullian (160-
(160-225).

Eschatology in Church Eschatology in Church

History History
™PATRISTIC ERA (A.D. 100-
100-430) ™MEDIEVAL ERA (430-
(430-1500)
¾Augustine (354-
(354-430), who is often referred
to as 'the father of amillennialism,' ¾Augustinian amillennialism was the
abandoned premillennialism because of accepted view of the church during
what he considered to be the excesses this period.
and carnalities of this view. He also
interpreted Mark 3:27 to be a present
binding of Satan.
¾Augustine's book, City of God,
God, was
significant in the promotion and
acceptance of amillennialism.

Eschatology in Church Eschatology in Church

History History
™REFORMATION ERA (1500-
(1500-1650) ™MODERN ERA (1650-
(1650-Present)
¾The primary reformers, including Martin ¾Postmillennialism became popular in the
Luther (1483-
(1483-1546) and John Calvin (1509-
(1509- eighteenth century. The beginnings of
1564), accepted the commonly held view modern postmillennialism are usually
of amillennialism.
associated with the works of Daniel
¾Luther was a historicist, holding that the Whitby (1638-
(1638-1726).
end-
end-times prophecies of the Bible were
being fulfilled in his day. The early Luther ¾Jonathan Edwards (1703-
(1703-1758) was a
expected a mass conversion of the Jews. postmillennialist who viewed the First
He also held that the pope was the anti-
anti- Great Awakening as the beginning of the
Christ. millennium.

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 Eschatology in Church Amillennialism
(Preconsummationism)
Preconsummationism)
History
™MODERN ERA (1650-
(1650-Present) JESUS
¾Dispensationalism arose in the middle of
the nineteenth century. John Nelson
Darby (1800-
(1800-82) is known as the "father of
dispensationalism." He: (1) systematized Second Heaven
dispensationalism by dividing history into Coming/Rapture
dispensations; (2) taught two phases to
Christ's coming--
coming--a a secret rapture and a
visible coming; and (3) believed in a Present Church Age
future literal fulfillment of Old Testament
promises with Israel.

Dispensational Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism

JESUS
Abomination of JESUS
JESUS
Desolation
(Matt. 24:15; Mk
13:14; Lk 21:20; Dan. Final
9:27) Judgment Second
Second Coming/
RAPTURE OF THE
Coming Rapture
CHURCH
Present Present
Church
Millennial
Eternal Church Millennial
Kingdom Kingdom
Age 3 ½ years 3 ½ years 1000 yrs State Age Tribulation 1000 yrs Eternal
State
Daniel’s Seventieth Week Seven Years

The Sections of Revelation (Dispensationalism)

The Sections of Revelation Rapture
Second Coming
(Amillennialism) Church Age Tribulation - 7 years 1000 years Eternity

First Half Second Half

1-3 4-7 8-11 12-14 15-16 17-19 20-22
Christ Seals Trumpets Bowls Millennium Eternal State
Rev. 1 Rev. 6 Rev. 8-9 Rev. 15-16 Rev. 20 Rev. 21-22

Churches 144,000 Rev. 7

Rev. 2-3 Little Scroll Rev. 10
Interludes

Throne & Book Two Witnesses Rev. 11

Each section recapitulates the present age. The Rev. 4-5 Woman & War Rev. 12
Book of Revelation is not sequential. The break Two Beasts Rev. 13
between Rev. 19 and Rev. 20 keeps the Second Song & Sickle Rev. 14
Coming from preceding the 1000 years. Babylon & Christ’s Return Rev. 17-19

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 A Critique of Amillennialism’s
Recapitulation in Revelation
™The outline of the entire book of
Revelation given in 1:19 does not
match the amillennial outline.
™The literary structure of Revelation
supports sequence.
™The judgment of the binding of Satan
in chapter 20 continues the judgment
discussion begun at the end of 19.