By James M. Rochford

The term amillennial literally means “no millennium.” This is really a misnomer, however, because amillennialists do believe in a millennium—just a symbolic one. Under this view, Jesus reigns in heaven over glorified believers (as well as in the hearts of earthly believers). According to amillennials, prophecies about the kingdom either refer to (1) Jesus ruling in heaven on a heavenly throne, or (2) Jesus ruling in the hearts of believers on Earth. In either sense, these OT prophecies about the kingdom of God are spiritualized. While God made unconditional promises to Israel, amillennials argue that the Jewish nation abandoned the Messiah. Once you kill the son of God, they argue, the promises become forfeited. While God married Israel, they argue that by killing the Messiah, God wrote Israel a certificate of divorce (Isa. 50:1; Jer. 3:8). We might define this view by the comparison to the others.

The amillennial view is the majority view in Christianity today. Premillennialist Paul Benware admits, “If all Christendom could be gathered together and a vote taken on which of the three millennial views was favored, amillennialism would easily win. Amillennialism is clearly the majority view.”^[1] However, we don’t believe we should take our theology from majority opinion.

Biblical Passages that Support Amillennialism

Theologians have noted that amillennialism is largely a negative perspective. Instead of offering a positive picture of the end times, amillennials typically just criticize the literalism of premillennialism. Walvoord writes,

The current millennial debate is singular for its negative quality. While premillennialism has had poor handling by many of its own adherents, it has at least aimed at being constructive, offering a definite system of interpretation and providing a positive voice. While amillennialism has attracted many scholars and has produced many works on the millennial issue in the last two decades, for the most part their approach has been one of ridicule and attack on premillennialism rather than an ordered presentation of their own system of beliefs. This direction of published studies has been born of the nature of the amillennial theory—a denial of the millennium. Amillennialists have also rightly argued that if they successfully disposed of their opponents who were premillennial they would have no effective opposition to their own viewpoint. The negative attitude was also one of necessity, as amillennialists are by no means agreed on the essentials of their own system of eschatology and millenarianism.[2]

This being the case, the amillennial typically doesn’t know how to interpret vast portions of OT prophecy for the future. We feel that struggling with this difficult picture of the future is better than simply spiritualizing it. Amillennials typically take their “Church brush” and paint ever OT prophecy as referring to the Church in some fashion.

This being the case, amillennials often offer a number of passages that seem to contradict premillennial theology:

(Gen. 26:4-5) Is the Abrahamic Covenant still operative today?—or Did the Jews forfeit these blessings because of their rejection of Christ?

(2 Sam. 7:11-16) Is the Davidic Covenant still operative today?—or Did the Jews forfeit these blessings because of their rejection of Christ?

(Ezek. 40-48) Amillennialists hold that the millennium cannot be literal, because it demands animal sacrifice. Doesn’t this contradict the argument from Hebrews that Christ died once-for-all (Heb. 7:27; 9:12, 26)?

(Mt. 21:43) Is Jesus saying that the Jews are permanently out of God’s plan, because they rejected the Messiah?

(Lk. 17:20-21) Doesn’t Jesus teach that the kingdom was “spiritually” fulfilled in our hearts?

(Acts 2:16-21) Does Peter misquote Joel 2:28-32?

(Rom. 2:28-29) Does this passage teach that Christians inherit the Jewish promises of the Old Testament? (c.f. Phil. 3:3; Gal. 6:16)

(Rom. 4:9-12) Is Paul teaching that the Church has fulfilled the Abrahamic covenant?

(Heb. 1:3) Doesn’t the author of Hebrews claim that Jesus is spiritually fulfilling the Davidic covenant, because he is currently sitting on a throne in heaven?

(Heb. 8:13) Is the author of Hebrews claiming that the Church fulfilled this promise to Israel?

(Rev. 20:2-3) Is Satan currently bound?

(Rev. 20:4-5) Does the “first resurrection” refer to spiritual regeneration or bodily resurrection?

(Rev. 20:7-8) Do Gog and Magog rebel before the millennium or after?

Further Reading from an Amillennial Perspective

Beale, G. K. The Book of Revelation: A Commentary on the Greek Text. Grand Rapids, MI: W.B. Eerdmans, 1999.

Morris, Leon. The Revelation of St. John: An Introduction and Commentary. Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Pub., 1969.

Strimples, Robert. “Amillennialism.” Bock, Darrell (General Editor). Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond. Grand Rapids, MI. Zondervan. 1999.

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