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Ordinary Time

Movements & -isms

Amillennialism

The view that the “thousand years” of Revelation 20 is symbolic of the present church age — Christ reigns now, and returns to the final judgment and new creation.

Not To Be Confused With

“A-millennial” doesn't mean “no millennium” but a present, symbolic one (Christ reigning through the church age). Postmillennialism, by contrast, expects a golden age BEFORE Christ returns; premillennialism a literal reign AFTER.

Held by Augustine and much of the Reformed, Lutheran, Catholic, and Orthodox traditions, amillennialism reads Revelation's numbers symbolically and locates the “first resurrection” in regeneration or the intermediate state. Its instinct is to resist date-setting and earthly utopianism alike.

Related Terms

Amillennialism — Definition | Theologos Media