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In contemporary history, the third millennium of the Anno Domini or Common Era in the Gregorian calendar is the current millennium spanning the years 2001 to 3000 (21st to 30th centuries).
The millennial kingdom is the title given to the 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. Some seek to interpret the 1,000 years in an allegorical manner. They understand the 1,000 years as merely a figurative way of saying “a long period of time,” not a literal, physical reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. However, six times in Revelation 20:2-7, the millennial kingdom is specifically said to be 1,000 years in length. If God wished to communicate “a long period of time,” He could have easily done so without explicitly and repeatedly mentioning an exact time frame.
In essence, Augustine viewed the age in which he lived as the millennium itself in which the “…kingdom of God (was) already manifest in the Church during the age of the Byzantine EMPIRE…
Why Saint Augustine Changed His Mind About the Millennium
“The Course of Empire: The Destruction.” Thomas Cole, 1836, showing the Sack of Rome in 410 A.D. Click to enlarge for more detail.
It was the year 410 A.D. The Visigoths had come down from the north, sacking the city of Rome, the capital of the world’s greatest empire. People all over the Mediterranean were in shock, as they heard the story of the ruins and dead corpses laying in the streets. This was the “9/11” event of their day.
The pagans blamed the Christians, and they had their reasons…… Pardon some of the anachronisms, but I can imagine their rant…..
“Within a few decades, these Christians had gained the political power of the emperorship. Rome’s centuries of pagan gods were then officially abandoned by the government. Now these Christians had messed up everything. They had put a bunch of ‘Bible-thumping’ idiots into power, offending our pagan moral sensitivities, and leaving the empire vulnerable to their northern enemies.
The once-great empire was now on the verge of total collapse, no thanks to these ‘Bible thumpers.’ These Christians are to blame for our troubles!”
….. so thought the pagans, in their mockery.
Most Christians were unable to effectively respond to these charges. After all, Christianity had finally ascended to the top echelons of Roman society, and now it looked like the whole Roman world was falling apart! The Christian community provided the perfect scapegoat for Rome’s collapse.
Yet one man, the venerable bishop of Hippo, in North Africa, Saint Augustine, rose to the challenge. In his monumental work, City of God, Augustine instead laid the blame for Rome’s troubles on the moral dissolution and steady ethical decline that had plagued pagan Roman culture for century after century. To this day, City of God remains one of the greatest classics of Western culture, and a high watermark for Christian apologetics.
Augustine’s defense of the faith, however, came with a twist. Put in today’s terms, Augustine appeared to have “gone liberal.” But Augustine would not have seen it that way at all. After some reflection, Augustine came to believe that many Christians had misinterpreted the meaning of the “millennium,” the 1000-year reign of Christ, described in Revelation 20:1-6. Augustine, once a confirmed believer in a literal millennium, had basically flip-flopped, and changed his mind. But why?1
Augustine’s Shift Towards a Spiritual Interpretation of the Millennium
Saint Augustine (354-430 A.D.)
For much of his early life as a Christian, Augustine had embraced a literal view of a future 1000-year reign of Jesus, following Christ’s Second Coming, a belief than many Bible scholars today would call historic premillennialism. This early view of the millennium was different than the modern view of premillennialism.
Today’s premillennialism typically associates the establishment of a literal, future 1000-year reign of Christ, with a complete fulfillment of the Abrahamic land promise to national, ethnic Israel. Instead, many Christians in the early church, following the 2nd century church father, Justin Martyr, believed that this earthly reign of Christ would involve mostly Gentile Christian believers, as they believed that the Jews had been punished by God for their unbelief, through the destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple, in 70 A.D. Christians, like Augustine, had embraced this historic premillennial view (or some form of it), at least since the early 2nd century writer, Papias of Heirapolis, and the late 2nd century writer, Irenaeus.2
But this belief of a literal “1000-years,” or chiliasm, in the Greek, was challenged early on by more allegorical interpreters of the Bible, such as the late 2nd century, Origen and Clement of Alexandria, and even Augustine’s contemporary, Jerome. Nevertheless, Augustine was not persuaded by the logic of these allegorical Christian interpreters. In those days, he could see no reason to dismiss a literal 1000-year earthly reign of Christ. Augustine is often remembered today as a defender of allegorical interpretation of the Bible, but the story is more complex. In fact, Augustine viewed over-allegorization of the Bible as downright dangerous.
However, Augustine became aware of a different menace at the opposing extreme. He became more concerned with the chiliast teachers of his day, who went too far. Many Christians, who took this view, had come to the belief that the future, literal millennium would start at any moment. They saw the sack of Rome as a prophetic sign that the end of the world was at hand. Augustine became increasingly alarmed by the “End Times” speculations that were typically associated with this belief.
Various teachers, who helped to inform Augustine’s early chiliasm, reasoned that the six days of creation were correlated to the 6,000 years of earth’s history, culminating with the literal 1,000 year millennium of Revelation. This millennium would be the seventh day of cosmic history, whereby God would finally give the world its Sabbath rest, under this future reign of Christ. Earth’s history would then be complete after 7,000 years. Different calculations put the date of the Second Coming, the beginning of the literal millennium, somewhere near 500 A.D., within mere decades of the sack of Rome.
With the sack of Rome, Augustine’s chiliast colleagues seized upon the catastrophic current events of the day. Jesus’ Second Coming was obviously imminent, so the church would be soon done with the distress of this present world. Some even taught that the Christians during the millennium would enjoy wonderfully carnal delights. But before then, the world would simply “go to hell in a hand basket.” This teaching is eerily reminiscent of what many Islamic jihadists promote today, the idea that if you fly planes into skyscrapers, then God will reward you with a harem full of women and sensual pleasures in the next life. 3
For Augustine, this line of thinking became an embarrassment to the cause of Christ. Augustine cared deeply about taking Scripture seriously, and as literally as possible. But Augustine was also an apologist. He would shirk away from his “literalism,” if such “literalism” was leading towards tarnishing the reputation of the Gospel.
Augustine began to believe this literal view of the millennium to be unnecessarily foolish, making Christianity vulnerable to the mocking critique of the pagans. Those who preached about carnal delights, in the soon-to-be future millennial reign of Christ, had become too “worldly” in their thinking. Instead, Augustine refused to speculate on when the Second Coming might happen. But in order to see how this more thoughtful view fit within his larger understanding of the Bible, he had to rethink the meaning of the millennium.
What Made Augustine Rethink the Millennium
A renegade, but very talented, Bible teacher, a man by the name of Tyconius, helped Augustine out here. Augustine did not agree with all that Tyconius taught, but Augustine was intrigued by the idea that the “binding of Satan” in Revelation 20:2-3 happened, not at Christ’s Second Coming, but rather at his First Coming. Christ bound Satan at His work on Cross in the 1st century A.D., at the very beginning of the millennium. Satan’s influence was not fully eliminated, but his power was greatly restrained, at least until he would be later “released” towards the end of this millennium (verse 3).
- 2 And he seized the dragon, that ancient serpent, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years, 3 and threw him into the pit, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he might not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were ended. After that he must be released for a little while.
In the City of God, Augustine therefore encouraged his readers to trust that Christ still had Satan under His thumb, so they should not be fearful. Though Satan still manages to threaten with terror from his horrid pit, Christ’s death on the Cross had won the ultimate victory, binding the restless Satan into submission. As God continues to build his church from among “the nations,” the church will not be deceived. Only at the very end of the millennial period would Satan temporarily have his way, and that time had not yet come.
So, even if the Roman empire were to perish, it did not mean “the end of the world.” Jesus would still rule and reign in his church. People should put their trust in God, and not in political empires. As a result, Augustine understood the “millennium” to be synonymous with the age of the church, and that the “1000 years” should be interpreted figuratively, ending at an unknown time, thus avoiding the temptation of the chiliasts, who are forever trying to fix dates for Jesus’ return.
Augustine’s argument eventually won the day. The old Roman empire, as the people knew it at the time, eventually did crumble. The northern hordes did further plunder the riches of Roman cities. But the church, over the succeeding centuries, was able to preach the Gospel among these barbarians, and eventually win them over to Christ. From those many nations, Christ continued to build His victorious church. This demonstrated that despite the loud rancor of Satan, he was still bound, and his power was limited. The flow of history appeared to vindicate Augustine’s views.
Chiliasm, as associated with the belief in historic premillennialism, soon faded from view, and Augustine’s amillennial interpretation maintained dominance, for the most part, in the minds of Western Christians, until about the 17th century. The fracture of European Christendom, occasioned by the events of the Reformation, led some Protestant thinkers to eventually rethink the meaning of the millennium. But it was not until the 19th century birth of dispensationalism, with its emphasis on God’s future purposes for national, ethnic Israel, and the founding of the modern nation-state of Israel in 1948, that premillennialism once again flourished within the thinking of the evangelical church.
Was Augustine Right?
How should Christians view their relationship to political empires, within the context of the expectation of Christ’s return? Saint Augustine’s solution in The City of God was to take a “long haul” approach to building God’s Kingdom. Yes, Christ may come again at anytime. But until then, the church has work to do. Christians may participate in the political realm, but they should also be wary of associating any political regime with the Kingdom of God itself. Augustine’s change in how he viewed the millennium, mentioned in the Book of Revelation, sought to move Christians in his era away from a premature expectation of Christ’s return, towards a more concentrated focus on the long-term mission of God’s people. So, was Augustine right?
Anonymous
IF you are saying we live in the Millennium right now Kyle Williams
HOW long is the Millennium going to last in your view?
pls dont start with denying Rev 20 being literal right now pls
Evelyn Gardiner Jeffrey Snyder Robert Cox Neil Steven Lawrence Jerome Herrick
Anonymous
Kyle Williams We know that Christ was really, personally, and physically here on
earth. But it is not quite so clear to some persons that he is to come,
really, personally, and literally the second time. . . . Now, we believe
that the Christ who shall sit on the throne of his father David, and
whose feet shall stand upon Mount Olivet, is as much a personal Christ
as the Christ who came to Bethlehem and wept in the manger…
VERY Calvinist Charles Spurgeon,
“Justification and Glory,” in The Metropolitan Tabernacle Pulpit 11:249
Anonymous
Troy Day yes, Spurgeon was a futurist. An inconsistent one, who believed in the present Lordship of Christ over all the earth, but a futurist nonetheless.
Anonymous
Kyle Williams fugured thatS all you gonna say on this post – What about ERICKSON ?
Anonymous
Troy Day didn’t read the post I can only see the comment
Anonymous
Kyle Williams really? WOW https://www.pentecostaltheology.com/christs-physical-reign-on-earth-during-the-millennium/
Anonymous
John Mushenhouse A clear depiction of an earthly reign of Christ without
his physical presence is nowhere found in Scripture!
Anonymous
Troy Day I had to read Erickson once and I say once, Yes he rebelled against liberalism, but he replaced it with his calvinism. People were only interested in any who would fight liberalism without knowing they were being taught calvinism. I saw that in the Nazarenes.
Anonymous
John Mushenhouse THAT is exactly RIGHT – however I chose to include him for Kyle Williams – as a great theologian he was – becuase even a dead Calvinist is right twice a day about us NOT living in the millenium right now Michael Chauncey
Anonymous
No
Anonymous
Jose Salinas but why
Anonymous
No we are not.
Anonymous
Derek Godfrey untill we see a lion and a lamb Kyle Williams
Anonymous
Troy Day didn’t say that either. And that is more than likely symbolic and not literal, unless it takes place after the New Heavens and new earth and the new Jerusalem descends.
Anonymous
Derek Godfrey but Kyle Williams says we are
Anonymous
Troy Day as I have said before, I am certain. We cannot possibly be in the Millennium. We are not at peace and there is still disease, pain and suffering all around us.
Anonymous
Derek Godfrey what exactly are you saying though ? > Kyle Williams has claimed time and again we are in it
Anonymous
Troy Day a lot of Preterists claim we are. They tend to be amillenial though. They confuse me in what they believe. The Bible describes it. We are not at a place that fits that description. Eschatology is a very complex subject and we don’t see it as the people did 2000 years ago because we strayed too far from a Hebraic perspective of things.
I’m honestly getting tired of the bickering about it. I’m leaning towards pan-trib for that reason. We don’t know and it will play out when and how it will play out.
I believe in pre-trib and mid-trib absolute worst case. I seriously don’t believe we need to argue about it because we won’t be here. But it is easy to get emotional about our beliefs and want to change other people’s minds.
The big picture is that we need to live righteously and be prepared either way. We need to revisit our Holiness roots and preach it too.
Anonymous
If Satan is bound NOW, the chain is way too long!
Anonymous
Steve Losee tell us
Anonymous
No we are not in the millenium now.
1. There are carnivorous animals
2. There is crime
3. There is sickness
4. There is death
5. Jesus is not here on earth physically
6. The devil is not bound in the pit
7. Jerusalem is not the capital city of earth
Anonymous
Michael Chauncey but Derek Godfrey said what Kyle Williams has been telling us for weeks now namely Jesus do not have to be here on earth physically
Anonymous
Troy Day His feet will split the Mount of Olives the Dead Sea will come to life as water flows into it from the Mediterranean Sea.
Anonymous
Troy Day I don’t recall saying that. Just that it is obvious by all the evil and sickness and wars and violence that we are not in the millennium
Anonymous
Derek Godfrey Jesus do not have to be here on earth physically?
Anonymous
Troy Day I’m not sure which comment you are referring to.
Anonymous
No, we are not.
To get prophecy and Scripture right we must embrace God’s unique distinctions for ethnic national Israel, and for the Church.
Daniel’s 70th week is future; biblical eschatology is Premillennial.
Anonymous
THE REAL problem here is Kyle Williams been duped by hyperCalv forums to believe something was reformed teaching whicih it was NOT – when the issue is addressed with some a bit more real theology from actual theologians like in this post – the only way out is to say I didnt see it 🙂 well… multiple quotes from scholars 2 video/sermosn PLUS and article on why and how Augustine created post-mil stating they lived in the Empire-millenium back then cannot be simply missed in an article that adresses the very question
ARE WE IN THE MILLENNIUM RIGHT NOW?
the plain answer from the BIBLE is NO of course as Duane L Burgess already clearly asserted. BUT hyper calv. would say they didnt even see it or noticed it Which is tru BTW – they dont see or notice the actual BIBLE …
Anonymous
Really?
Anonymous
Timothy Staggs tell us if you are 100% sure please
Anonymous
So do all non-pretribbers too believe we live in the Millennium right now? Link Hudson Ricky Grimsley is this what you believe in your nonPentecostal beliefs now?
Anonymous
Troy Day I think you know better than to make such assumptions.
Anonymous
Link Hudson no assumptions @ all but since you make assumptions for resurrection in Mt24 which is not mentioned @ all there I dont know what to think anylonger
Anonymous
Troy Day don’t you believe a resurrection occurs around that time as a pretribber?
Anonymous
Link Hudson why dont you just show resurrection in Mt24 ???
Anonymous
Link Hudson why dont you just show resurrection in Mt24 ??? 2 weeks later if you can
Anonymous
Troy Day why don’t you show me the resurrection of the Jews in that passage because you believe in the resurrection of the Jews at that time and believe the passage is about Israel and not the church,
Why don’t you show me the pre-trib Rapture anywhere in the Bible?
Anonymous
Link Hudson why should I be showing you something concerning your own eschatology ? What exactly for?
Anonymous
Troy Day Previously, you posted that you believed there would be a resurrection of the Jews after the tribulation.
Anonymous
Troy Day 31 And He will send His angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they will gather together His [d]elect from the four winds,
Anonymous
Link Hudson At the first of the chapter it clearly says that Jesus was talking to his disciple, not the Jews, about the end times. They are representativs of the church that was later formed.
Anonymous
Gary Micheal Epping well those disciples were Jews, but Jews who believed.
Anonymous
back to this OP Link Hudson Gary Micheal Epping are yall too now saying the church is not going to heaven and we are already in the Millennium like Kyle Williams WHERE is this theological nonsense coming from now?
Anonymous
Troy Day it’s been the predominant veiw of Christ’s Church for centuries. It’s called Amilenialism.
Anonymous
Kyle Williams how do you mean that? Amilenialism did not exist till Augustine the Catholic theologian
Anonymous
No we are not in the millennium now.
Anonymous
Ricky Grimsley who told you that/
Anonymous
No
Anonymous
If Satan is bound now, the chain is way too long!
Anonymous
Steve Losee or just human nature causing the demise.
Anonymous
Nope, we’re in the season of time where the dragon is loosed to deceive the whole world.
Anonymous
NO..AMEN,,,
Anonymous
No, here are seven reasons why not
1. Wolves still eat lambs
2. Vipers still bite children
3. Muslims still control parts of Jerusalem
4. Jesus is nit physically reigning on earth from Jerusalem
5. A 100 year old person is not considered a child
6. Christ’s don’t rule and reign with Christ over the whole earth
7. The devil is still tempting, deceiving and accusing unchained and above ground.
Anonymous
Michael Chauncey 7 reasons I do agree with. Lol
Anonymous
No
Reasons for a Pre-Millennial Second Coming. | Pentecostal Theology
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