The word amillennialism is a compound word a meaning no, and millennium, meaning 1000. Thus, the amillennial view is essentially a negative view that denies that there is a literal or earthly physical millennia Kingdom 1000-year reign of Christ on earth. The entire church age is defined as the millennium. Followers of this view hold that the millennium was inaugurated with Christ’s resurrection. In an “already/not yet” sense, Christ already reigns over all and is already victorious over Satan. Christ currently reigns in the hearts of Christians and there is no need for a physical reign of Christ on the earth until the end of time. The amillennialist teaches that no extensive period of divine peace and worldwide external blessings will prevail in earth history before the Second Coming of Christ. Rather, the Kingdom’s presence operates within the lives of believers and through the ministry of the Church while the Church is under assault and despite the historical decline that worsens until the end.
In this view, the future reign with Christ described in Revelation 20 is considered to be ruling with Christ in heaven and not on earth. Because there are promises to Israel that are to take place in the millennial Kingdom, this view holds that the promises to Israel have been transferred to the church. God is done with Israel as they have rejected their Messiah. There will be a progressive decline in the morality of the world until the Rapture: The saints, living and dead shall meet the Lord in the clouds and immediately proceed to judge the nations of the world with Christ and then follow Him into their eternal state.
Amillennialism may be summarized as follows: (1) The Church Age is the kingdom era prophesied by the Old Testament prophets. The people of God are expanded from Israel of the Old Testament to the universal Church of the New Testament, becoming the Israel of God. (2) Satan is bound during Christ’s earthly ministry at his first coming. His binding prevents him from totally hindering the proclamation of the gospel. This allows for the conversion of great numbers of sinners to Christ and insures some restraint upon evil. (3) Christ now rules spiritually in the hearts of believers. There will be but occasional, short-lived influences of Christianity on culture, where Christians live out the implications of their faith. (4) History will gradually worsen as the growth of evil accelerates toward the end. This will culminate in the Great Tribulation, with the arising of a personal Antichrist. (5) Christ will return to end history, resurrect and judge all men, and establish the eternal order. The eternal destiny of the redeemed may be either in heaven or in a totally renovated new earth.