What is a millennialist?
I've had two people email me with this question. I feel that more than these two would like to
ask the question, therefore I'll define what a millennialist is and what they believe.
The word "millennium" comes from two Latin words, which means "a thousand years." Revelation 20:3-5 mentions a thousand years -
Revelation 20:3-5
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Here in Rev 20 you see the word thousand years and it also mentions that the Devil is completely bound and the saints' reign with Christ.
Well, how does this thousand years relate to the 2nd coming (final) of Christ?
1.The premillennialist thinks the 2nd coming is to take place before (pre) the thousand years. This group is made up of many different "flavors." Some call themselves "pre-trib or post-trib, dispensationalist, etc. etc." There isn't enough space or time to cover all the theories of these groups. Some of the big premillennialsits groups are Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, most Baptists, most Pentecostals (such as Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart), Davidians (such as the one who was burned in Waco, David Karish); World Wide Church of God (the late Herbert Armstrong's group), Church of God, 7th Day, most Sabbath-keeping groups, etc. . . . their names are legion.
2. The postmillennialist thinks the 2nd coming occurs after (post) the thousand years. This group believes (in a nut-shell) that things will get better and better until Christ comes. This theory has almost vanished due to the world wars.
3. The amillennialist holds the 2nd coming has nothing to do with the thousand years.
I use to teach at San Antonio Jr. College in the electronics department. I taught a 4-hour semester course in data communications. About our 2nd week in class I covered a topic on "synchronous and asynchronous" data. One type of data had a start bit and a stop bit while the other didn't, one was "sync" while the other was "a-sync." I would often give the analogy (to explain sync & async) of a "theist" (one who believes in God) while the "a-theist"(one who did not). The "a" "nots" it. The same is true in the words "millennialist" and "a-millenialist or amillennial."
A couple of big guys on the block that teaches the premillennialism doctrine , that is, dispensational premillennialism, is Hal Lindsey and John Walvoord. Hal sold over 5 million copies (many $$$) of his book THE LATE GREAT PLANET EARTH.(In his first printing)Another book of his is THERE'S A NEW WORLD COMING.
John Walvoord's MILLENNIAL KINGDOM is another popular dispensational premillennial book. I don't know if Walvoord is still president of the Dallas Theological Seminary, but at one time he was. Hal Lindsey was a student of Walvoord.
Well, what do the premillennialists believe? Dispensational premillennialism believe that God has two grand purposes to be fulfilled in human history. One - this concerns the church and the second -- concerns the fleshly nation of Israel.
Lindsey and his buddies tells us the "church" was in the mind of God from eternity, but He never told anyone about it until New Testament times. <G> Lindsey tells us that the Old Testament is silent on the church. They quote Eph 3:1ff and Col 1:26 to support their position.
The second purpose of God is the blessing of the nation of Israel. Of course this is true as seen in Genesis 12:1-3.
The premillennialist says this blessing will come in these forms:
a.The making of Abraham's seed into a great nation.
b.The giving to them a land.
c.A covenant with David that his seed would rule over Israel forever.
d.Assurances that they would be restored under Messiah. (As a nation)
e.A seven year period of horrible tribulation which is divided into two 31/2 years periods of which the second half is the tribulation period or "great tribulation." The "rapture" precedes the seven years.
f.The 2nd coming of Christ and the establishment of the Old Testament kingdom for 1000 years. (This they say will occur at the end of the tribulation)
g.Israel during the 1000 years is the supreme nation. The temple, the priesthood and levitical priesthood are restored! Blood sacrifices will be restored and also circumcision!!!!
h.The loosing of Satan for a season at the end of 1000 years. Then his defeat.
i.The resurrection of the ungodly and the final judgement.
j.The destruction of the earth by fire and making of a new heaven and earth.
Now that is the basic "thrust" of the dispensational premillennial beliefs tied up in "a through j."
If you hold to any of the above "a thru j," then you fit under the umbrella of a premillennialist.
I do not believe the bible teaches the premillennial doctrine and if you look at my posts (in the past) you will see why I don't believe it. As time goes,I will show you from scripture why the premillennial doctrine is in error. I studied it from Rome to Waco and I can't see anthing good that is come out of it.
Your servant in Messiah, Jesus,
charlesj
I've had two people email me with this question. I feel that more than these two would like to
ask the question, therefore I'll define what a millennialist is and what they believe.
The word "millennium" comes from two Latin words, which means "a thousand years." Revelation 20:3-5 mentions a thousand years -
Revelation 20:3-5
3 And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. 4 And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. 5 But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
Here in Rev 20 you see the word thousand years and it also mentions that the Devil is completely bound and the saints' reign with Christ.
Well, how does this thousand years relate to the 2nd coming (final) of Christ?
1.The premillennialist thinks the 2nd coming is to take place before (pre) the thousand years. This group is made up of many different "flavors." Some call themselves "pre-trib or post-trib, dispensationalist, etc. etc." There isn't enough space or time to cover all the theories of these groups. Some of the big premillennialsits groups are Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Seventh-Day Adventists, most Baptists, most Pentecostals (such as Oral Roberts, Jimmy Swaggart), Davidians (such as the one who was burned in Waco, David Karish); World Wide Church of God (the late Herbert Armstrong's group), Church of God, 7th Day, most Sabbath-keeping groups, etc. . . . their names are legion.
2. The postmillennialist thinks the 2nd coming occurs after (post) the thousand years. This group believes (in a nut-shell) that things will get better and better until Christ comes. This theory has almost vanished due to the world wars.
3. The amillennialist holds the 2nd coming has nothing to do with the thousand years.
I use to teach at San Antonio Jr. College in the electronics department. I taught a 4-hour semester course in data communications. About our 2nd week in class I covered a topic on "synchronous and asynchronous" data. One type of data had a start bit and a stop bit while the other didn't, one was "sync" while the other was "a-sync." I would often give the analogy (to explain sync & async) of a "theist" (one who believes in God) while the "a-theist"(one who did not). The "a" "nots" it. The same is true in the words "millennialist" and "a-millenialist or amillennial."
A couple of big guys on the block that teaches the premillennialism doctrine , that is, dispensational premillennialism, is Hal Lindsey and John Walvoord. Hal sold over 5 million copies (many $$$) of his book THE LATE GREAT PLANET EARTH.(In his first printing)Another book of his is THERE'S A NEW WORLD COMING.
John Walvoord's MILLENNIAL KINGDOM is another popular dispensational premillennial book. I don't know if Walvoord is still president of the Dallas Theological Seminary, but at one time he was. Hal Lindsey was a student of Walvoord.
Well, what do the premillennialists believe? Dispensational premillennialism believe that God has two grand purposes to be fulfilled in human history. One - this concerns the church and the second -- concerns the fleshly nation of Israel.
Lindsey and his buddies tells us the "church" was in the mind of God from eternity, but He never told anyone about it until New Testament times. <G> Lindsey tells us that the Old Testament is silent on the church. They quote Eph 3:1ff and Col 1:26 to support their position.
The second purpose of God is the blessing of the nation of Israel. Of course this is true as seen in Genesis 12:1-3.
The premillennialist says this blessing will come in these forms:
a.The making of Abraham's seed into a great nation.
b.The giving to them a land.
c.A covenant with David that his seed would rule over Israel forever.
d.Assurances that they would be restored under Messiah. (As a nation)
e.A seven year period of horrible tribulation which is divided into two 31/2 years periods of which the second half is the tribulation period or "great tribulation." The "rapture" precedes the seven years.
f.The 2nd coming of Christ and the establishment of the Old Testament kingdom for 1000 years. (This they say will occur at the end of the tribulation)
g.Israel during the 1000 years is the supreme nation. The temple, the priesthood and levitical priesthood are restored! Blood sacrifices will be restored and also circumcision!!!!
h.The loosing of Satan for a season at the end of 1000 years. Then his defeat.
i.The resurrection of the ungodly and the final judgement.
j.The destruction of the earth by fire and making of a new heaven and earth.
Now that is the basic "thrust" of the dispensational premillennial beliefs tied up in "a through j."
If you hold to any of the above "a thru j," then you fit under the umbrella of a premillennialist.
I do not believe the bible teaches the premillennial doctrine and if you look at my posts (in the past) you will see why I don't believe it. As time goes,I will show you from scripture why the premillennial doctrine is in error. I studied it from Rome to Waco and I can't see anthing good that is come out of it.
Your servant in Messiah, Jesus,
charlesj
