Amillennialism ~ What Does It Mean & Where Did It Come From?

The Miriam Webster dictionary describes a-millennialism as “the denial that an earthly millennium of universal righteousness and peace will either precede or follow the second advent of Jesus Christ.”

Postmillennialism is defined as ” the theological doctrine that the second coming of Christ will occur after the millennium.”

Premillennialism is defined as ” The view that Christ’s return will usher in a future millennium of Messianic rule mentioned in Revelation.”

Recently I was listening to an intelligent bible teacher talk about these different views. He claimed the early church embraced the a-millennial point of view. This raised a red flag for me because my understanding is that the early church had a predominant belief in the premillennial view.

The a-millennial view could loosely be described as an early church belief, however it was not popularized until 300 years after the Apostles. It came about as a result of the teachings of St. Augustine and Calvinism.

We should be wary of all isms, because they tend to be man-made, and are more accurately defined as political ideologies. Nevertheless it seems all of Christendom is divided into these different belief systems.

The way they get around what it says in Revelation 20:1-7, is to claim it is spiritual in meaning, and is not to be taken literally:

1 And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.

2 And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,

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.

6 Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

7 And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,

They claim these verses are spiritual, not literal, and therefore they cancel them out?

When you consider the entire Bible is spiritual because God is Spirit – what does that tell us about how they interpret the entire Bible?

Part of the problem with the a-millennial view is that they are focusing only on Revelation chapter 20, and claim it is the only place in the Bible where the thousand year reign is mentioned. However a peaceful reign is mentioned in other locations as well.

Even though Revelation is not in chronological order, it does not cancel out the millennial reign. And even though the thousand year reign is mentioned six times in chapter 20, and the thousand years is not located in other places in the bible, there is reference to the millennial reign in other locations, as being a time of peace.

In addition to the fact Satan is not currently bound, historically, and to date – there is war somewhere in the world. There has never been a time of global peace, even though there have been times of partial peace. War will not be abolished until Christ returns.

When has there been a time when wild animals were peaceful? When has there been a time when Satan was bound? As much as the a-millennialists and post millennialists claim we are in the midst of the millennium, our own observations should clue us in to the fact we are not experiencing peace, or an absence of evil influences.

We are in the midst of sophisticated deceptions, upheaval, uncertainty, spiritual warfare, and conflict. More importantly, we are in the midst of the great apostasy. We must be prudent. 

Isaiah 11:4-9

Genesis 1:2 tells us God is Spirit:

2  And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

The Book of Revelation is the revelation of Jesus Christ.

2 Timothy 3:16:

16 All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

Galatians 1:8-12:

8 But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed.

9 As we said before, so say I now again, If any man preach any other gospel unto you than that ye have received, let him be accursed.

10 For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.

11 But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man.

12 For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.

From a common sense perspective those familiar with the bible know that Satan has been roaming the earth since he was cast out of heaven. When has Satan ever been bound in all of history? How can they claim we are living in the millennial kingdom now when clearly Satan is not bound?

Many of the arguments to support doctrinal deviations will claim the bible is to be taken spiritually, not literally. The dispensationalists who also lean toward a different Gospel based on the teaching of John Darby in the 1800’s will insist the entire bible is to be taken literally.

Our basic reading comprehension has taught us the value of many different figures of speech, and metaphors, along with the ability to differentiate literalism from the figures of speech. The bible is spiritual, and contains figures of speech to illustrate, and help enhance our understanding. It also contains many literal truths that are to be taken at face value.

Therefore all of the arguments leaning toward one or the other are moot points.

One of the biggest problems with those who tamper with God’s word, is they mix truth with falsehood. If we recognize a doctrine that has many falsehoods, we might reject all of it, including some of the truth.

If we study and accept false doctrine, allowing ourselves to be deceived, we might accept all of it as truth, when in fact the doctrine has been altered to deliver some truth, with multiple falsehoods. Dispensational doctrine does teach and embrace the millennial reign of Christ.

They also teach a literal interpretation only, as if that is even possible. They teach there is a separation between Israel and the church. They teach that the bible has been divided into seven dispensations. And they teach the church will be secretly raptured prior to the second coming of Christ.

The dispensational beliefs deviate from what it actually says in the bible, in multiple ways. But they also reiterate certain truths, which makes it palatable to Christians who are not familiar with what it actually says in the bible.

Hebrews 4: 12:

12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The dispensationalists frequently use the following verse to support their false doctrine, however they would be wise to compare it to the verse in Hebrews 4:12.

15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.

Dividing the word of truth does not equate to dividing the entire bible into seven dispensations. Nor should it divide the body of Christ into two separate bodies – Israel and Gentiles. Nor should it divide the second coming of Christ into two different events.

Ephesians 2:14:

14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition between us;

John 17:15-17

15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.

16 They are not of the world, even as I am not of the world.

17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.

John 8:43-47

43 Why do ye not understand my speech? even because ye cannot hear my word.

44 Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it.

45 And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

46 Which of you convinceth me of sin? And if I say the truth, why do ye not believe me?

47 He that is of God heareth God’s words: ye therefore hear them not, because ye are not of God.

A sobering reality is that Jesus is the word of God. If we believe a different Gospel, how can we claim to believe in Christ?

John 3:33-36 

33 He that hath received his testimony hath set to his seal that God is true.

34 For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him.

35 The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand.

36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

John 1:1

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

Deuteronomy 4:2

2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

By no means do I consider myself to be an educator or bible teacher. I am sharing what it says in the bible, and to some degree am also incorporating aspects of deceptions and snares I fell into as a result of not reading the bible for myself. It is testimony to how any immersion into false doctrine is to walk and stumble in darkness, not the light of God.

Postmillennialism is the belief that the millennial reign will occur before the second coming of Christ. This appears to be based on the idea that the Gospel will be preached so effectively throughout the world, it will lead to global peace. Once again, this is placing the revelation of Jesus Christ onto man, not Christ. 

We are supposed to share God’s word. But we can never claim to be the ones to bring about peace, or the millennial reign of Christ. 

Man has never achieved peace in this world. Nor has man taken away the sin of the world, which is why there has been so much war and conflict. We must rely on Christ to overcome the world, not man. 

When we examine isms and their origins, we will find they come from man not God. We can sit and listen to those manmade isms without learning a thing. They will rationalize, deny, excuse, and lie. It may sound harsh, but that is the nature of man.

It is made to appear that we must choose between the three definitions. Yet of the three, it is dispensationalism that believes there will be a thousand year reign of Christ taken literally from Revelation verse 20. However, dispensationalism is rife with false doctrine in other areas. 

Very few preachers are teaching about historic premillennialism, which is what the early church believed before St. Augustine. Historic premillennialism did not contain the seven dispensations, the pre-tribulation rapture, the separation of the church, and various other Darby/Scofield teachings. 

The bible warns us not to be deceived. If we reject a-millennialism and post millennialism, it does not mean we should embrace dispensationalism. Read the bible for yourself without the preconceived notion of choosing which false doctrine to believe. 

The bible tells us Christ will return. What can we expect when he does return? 

What makes sense? Does it make sense to believe Satan was bound ages ago? Does it make sense to believe man will overcome the world, and the sin of the world? 

God has a plan, and he is telling us what He has planned for us, and the rest of the world. We do not conform His plan to our way of thinking, or we fall into a trap.

Jesus was here the first time, to offer salvation to the sinners (all of us). He was here to teach, heal and preach the Gospel (the good news). He did so humbly, and without extravagances. He was hated, persecuted, betrayed, and ultimately put to death. After His death, He was resurrected, and went to heaven to be with God, until it is time for His return.  

He is coming back as King, and Lord. When He does return, He will rule the earth, and put all of his enemies under his feet. This will be a battle and a victory like none other ever witnessed in the history of the world.

Jesus will fulfill God’s plan in stages, as outlined in the bible. The whole world will enter into a time of peace, rest, and restoration. When he returns, first the dead in Christ will be resurrected, and the believers who are still alive, will be caught up to meet him in the air. We will return to the earth, and rule with Christ for a thousand years. This is the millennial reign.

After the millennial reign, the rest of the dead will be resurrected and face the great white throne of judgement. Those who are not written in the Lamb’s Book of Life, will be thrown into the lake of fire (the second death). During this time frame, Satan will be let loose for awhile, and another great battle will follow. 

After the final battle and complete defeat of Satan, the new heavens and new earth will be ushered in. We will live with, worship, and commune with God for all eternity. 

The differences between the millennial reign and the new heavens and earth, are significant. During the millennial reign, the earth will be more like the Garden of Eden, but the nations, and the layout of the earth will be as it was when God created it. Although it is a time of rest, peace, and restoration, the sanctification is not complete until Satan is defeated for he final time. Death and sin must be overcome. 

The new heavens and new earth will not have any darkness – no night. God will be the light. There will be no sea. The new Jerusalem that comes down from heaven will be a magnificent and glorious place of worship. We will partake in, and experience the tree of life, and the living water. There will be no more sorrow, no more tears, no more death. 

I believe the thousand year reign as mentioned six times in Revelation verse 20, is meant to be taken literally. It should not be diminished, removed, denied, or described as metaphor. It is not worded as a metaphor, or figure of speech. In fact it is repeated six times just to reinforce it, in case we missed it the first time.

Is it spiritual? Yes of course it is. All scripture is spiritual – it is the word of God, and the revelation of Jesus Christ. 

Galatians 6:6-8:

6 Let him that is taught in the word communicate unto him that teacheth in all good things.

7 Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.

Copyright Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West (2025). Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this blog’s author/owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Valerie J. Hayes and Quiet West with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.