Amillenialism - what are your thoughts?

[Kokopelli]

Where does he go wrong, exactly? Can you provide an example or two, or clarify, instead of making a vague, unsupported assertion?

He's a man, just like you and I, fallible, just like you and I, so he could be wrong. But did you actually listen to what he said?

If you go back and re-read my post, I quoted where he said the concept of a pretrib rapture started in the 1830's with Darby.

Then I showed how that is wrong. It was taught by earlier church fathers, which I listed.

I was not vague. I listed them. Here are those that taught pretribulation rapture BEFORE Darby, one more time, just for you. From my post above:

Pseudo-Ephraem
Saint Victorius, Bishop of Petau
Reverend Morgan Edwards
Joseph Mede
Apostle John
Apostle Paul
Jesus Christ (Rev. 3:10)

[ZapThyCat]

Never heard of it. If you're going to ask our opinions on something, define that thing.

[socal m1 shooter]

Never heard of it. If you're going to ask our opinions on something, define that thing.

I think this is a helpful question. Jargon can be off-putting and exclusionary. In Revelation 20:1-7 there are six mentions of a thousand-year period. What saved and redeemed people believe regarding this reference can be summed up in four positions:

Premillennialists believe that Messiah will return and then the thousand-year period will be a literal thousand-year reign of Messiah on earth. This camp splits on the basis of what they believe about the timing of the rapture and the Great Tribulation (do they occur at the same time or are they separate events?). Put simply, you?re premillennial if you believe Messiah will return before the millennium.

Historical premillennialists believe in a post-tribulation rapture. In other words, the church will go through the Great Tribulation like everyone else. The rapture of the saved and redeemed will happen at the end of the tribulation (Second Coming and the rapture are not separate events), and they will reign with Messiah for a literal thousand-year kingdom on earth. Prominent historical premillennialists include early church fathers (Irenaeus, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Papias, Hippolytus), and more recently, Walter Martin (the original Bible Answerman before Hank Hannegraaf), G.E. Ladd, John Warwick Montgomery; J. Barton Payne, Henry Alford, Theodor Zahn, Wayne Grudem, Michael Brown, Craig Keener, and many others.

Dispensational premillennialists believe in a pre-tribulation rapture (church escapes the wrath to come), and a literal thousand-year reign of Messiah on earth, with the Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation, meaning the rapture and the Second Coming are separate events. Israel and the church are separate, and there will be a remnant of Israel saved through the Great Tribulation. Prominent dispensational premillennialists include Darby, Scofield, J. Vernon McGee, Lewis Sperry Chafer, Charles Ryrie, John Walvoord and Charles Swindoll (both past presidents of Dallas Theological Seminary), John MacArthur, and many others.

Amillennialists believe that the reference is not to a literal period of time, a literal thousand years, but rather it is a symbolic reference, and the thousand years refers to the kingdom which started with the First Coming and will end with the Second Coming. That link will take you to an article better explaining this perspective. Put simply, you?re amillennial if you don?t believe there will be a literal earthly millennium before Messiah returns. Prominent amillennialists include Voddie Baucham, John Ortberg, Hank Hanegraff, Anthony Hoekema, Kim Riddlebarger, Sam Storms, R.C. Sproul, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Augustine, and Polycarp (disciple of the Apostle John).

Postmillennialists also believe that the thousand years is not a literal period of time, but a symbolic reference to a long period of time, during which the gospel spreads and the world becomes better and better as it becomes increasingly Christianized. The Second Coming occurs after the great commission is literally fulfilled. There is some overlap between amillennialsim and postmillennialism; their primary disagreement is over the character of the millennium. Put simply, you?re postmillennial if you think Jesus will return after the millennium, after the world has been successfully evangelized. Doug Wilson is a prominent postmillennialist, and he gives a good overview in the video linked below (and in this tweet). Other prominent postmillennialists include John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Rousas Rushdoony, David Chilton, Greg Bahnsen. There was no distinction made between postmillennialism and amillennialsim prior to the 19th century, so one may find famous Christians (like Jonathan Edwards) from before then labled variously as amillennialist or postmillennialist.

This video is very good and you can watch saved and redeemed people discussing this with respectful civility and without bagging on other believers.

[RAMCLAP]

I think this is a helpful question. Jargon can be off-putting and exclusionary. In Revelation 20:1-7 there are six mentions of a thousand-year period. What saved and redeemed people believe regarding this reference can be summed up in four positions:

Premillennialists believe that Messiah will return and then the thousand-year period will be a literal thousand-year reign of Messiah on earth. This camp splits on the basis of what they believe about the timing of the rapture and the Great Tribulation (do they occur at the same time or are they separate events?). Put simply, you?re premillennial if you believe Messiah will return before the millennium.

Historical premillennialists believe in a post-tribulation rapture. In other words, the church will go through the Great Tribulation like everyone else. The rapture of the saved and redeemed will happen at the end of the tribulation (Second Coming and the rapture are not separate events), and they will reign with Messiah for a literal thousand-year kingdom on earth. Prominent historical premillennialists include early church fathers (Irenaeus, Tertullian, Justin Martyr, Papias, Hippolytus), and more recently, Walter Martin (the original Bible Answerman before Hank Hannegraaf), G.E. Ladd, John Warwick Montgomery; J. Barton Payne, Henry Alford, Theodor Zahn, Wayne Grudem, Michael Brown, Craig Keener, and many others.

Dispensational premillennialists believe in a pre-tribulation rapture (church escapes the wrath to come), and a literal thousand-year reign of Messiah on earth, with the Second Coming at the end of the Great Tribulation, meaning the rapture and the Second Coming are separate events. Israel and the church are separate, and there will be a remnant of Israel saved through the Great Tribulation. Prominent dispensational premillennialists include Darby, Scofield, J. Vernon McGee, Lewis Sperry Chafer, Charles Ryrie, John Walvoord and Charles Swindoll (both past presidents of Dallas Theological Seminary), John MacArthur, and many others.

Amillennialists believe that the reference is not to a literal period of time, a literal thousand years, but rather it is a symbolic reference, and the thousand years refers to the kingdom which started with the First Coming and will end with the Second Coming. That link will take you to an article better explaining this perspective. Put simply, you?re amillennial if you don?t believe there will be a literal earthly millennium before Messiah returns. Prominent amillennialists include Voddie Baucham, John Ortberg, Hank Hanegraff, Anthony Hoekema, Kim Riddlebarger, Sam Storms, R.C. Sproul, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Augustine, and Polycarp (disciple of the Apostle John).

Postmillennialists also believe that the thousand years is not a literal period of time, but a symbolic reference to a long period of time, during which the gospel spreads and the world becomes better and better as it becomes increasingly Christianized. The Second Coming occurs after the great commission is literally fulfilled. There is some overlap between amillennialsim and postmillennialism; their primary disagreement is over the character of the millennium. Put simply, you?re postmillennial if you think Jesus will return after the millennium, after the world has been successfully evangelized. Doug Wilson is a prominent postmillennialist, and he gives a good overview in the video linked below (and in this tweet). Other prominent postmillennialists include John Owen, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Hodge, Rousas Rushdoony, David Chilton, Greg Bahnsen. There was no distinction made between postmillennialism and amillennialsim prior to the 19th century, so one may find famous Christians (like Jonathan Edwards) from before then labled variously as amillennialist or postmillennialist.

This video is very good and you can watch saved and redeemed people discussing this with respectful civility and without bagging on other believers.

Good job my friend.