Amillennialism

Amillennialism is a Christian eschatological position that rejects a literal, future thousand-year reign of Christ on earth. Instead, the millennium is understood symbolically, representing the present reign of Christ in heaven and through the church on earth, from the first coming until the second coming. The term derives from the Greek a- (“not”) and millēn (“thousand”).

Historically, amillennialism is associated with Augustine of Hippo, who argued that the Revelation 20 millennium is figurative. The view has been influential across Roman Catholic, Orthodox, Lutheran, Reformed, and many Anglican circles. In the Protestant tradition, it has been linked to covenant theology and a spiritual interpretation of the kingdom, though details of interpretation vary among theologians.

Core beliefs include the view that Christ’s reign began with the ascension and continues through the church age. The binding of Satan is seen as a partial, not total, restraint that enables the gospel to advance. The present age is characterized by the tension between the already realized reign of Christ and the not-yet fullness of his kingdom. The end of the age will come with Christ’s return, the general resurrection, the final judgment, and the creation of new heavens and a new earth. The millennium, therefore, is not a future earthly kingdom but the current, spiritual reign of Christ manifested in the church and inaugurated in creation.

Scriptural interpretation among amillennialists often emphasizes the “already and not yet” nature of the kingdom and reads Revelation 20 as symbolic rather than literal. Differences exist on various details, including the precise nature of Christ’s reign and the order of end-time events.