Jesus Messiah Fellowship

Light To The Nations

Amillennialism

By Cohen G. Reckart, Sr

The doctrine of amillennialism, or that there is no 1,000 years of literal reign upon the earth by Jesus Messiah, is a Catholic doctrine. Amillennialism was not preached or believed by the Apostles.

The amillennial heresy must pervert Scripture, spiritualize Scripture, and change the Scriptures, for it to even gain a remote possibility of being accepted as true. Everyone who is a Catholic amillennialist will have the wildest spiritualizing stories you have ever heard. And yet most of these do not like or believe several other Catholic doctrines, traditions, and heresies. Why then, do they hold on to this teaching?

The amillennial doctrine came into the Catholic Church by St. Augustine. He in turn got it from being associated with Manichaeanism. He may also have gotten it from Origen who got it from Clement of Alexandria.

Alexandria, Egypt is also where the trinity doctrine was brought by Athanasius to Nicaea. The question here is: did any good doctrine come out of Egypt? It was here also that Monasteries were invented and where *Catholic-Nicolaitian* gnosticsim was incubated under Clement and Origen. Would it not then seem appropriate for amillennialism to come from that very place of apostasy? One thing is certain, ...neither the Catholics or those who teach this Catholic dogma can trace it to Jerusalem and the Apostles. Therefore, they must pervert what did come from Jerusalem and reinterpret the Scriptures of the Apostles, to make their heresy agree with Egypt. And to do this, they must spiritualize what came out of Jerusalem from the Apostles. So when, they get to the Jerusalem text of Revelation 20:1-10, they do the Egyptian trick on it and pervert it.

Amillennialist always persist in bringing up issues that have no bearing on the interpretation of Revelation 20:1-10. Such issues are the book is totally symbolic why not also the thousand years;  cannot God own the cattle on 1001 hills;  the wicked being all destroyed at the coming of Jesus;  one taken and another left;  fighting for the Kingdom; the Kingdom not of this world; where do the sinners come from who populate the earth in the millennial; why are their alleged animal sacrifices to Jesus during this time out of Ezekiel's temple; and confusing the end of the world and the final judgment with the coming of Messiah at the end of the judgments of the tribulation.

To make amillennialism work, they spiritualize the battle of Armageddon as being a spiritual fight between the Saints and the devil; they spiritualize the bottomless pit as the heart of a Saint or sinner (only a Saint could seal him up if that is true and in their heart?  You figure that out); they spiritualize the mark of the beast as sin or the Roman numerals in the Pope's crown (and yet they claim they took the mark of sin and can still be saved); they spiritualize the first resurrection (Rev. 20:4), as either water baptism, or being born again by faith only, as passing from death to life (the alleged first resurrection); they spiritualize being beheaded (Rev. 20:4), as a person who takes off their head of sin and who puts on a head of Christ or Messiah; they spiritualize the thrones (Rev. 20:4), as being positions as Apostles in the New Testament Church; they spiritualize the 1,000 years of reigning with Messiah as this being a symbolic number to describe the entire Church age however long it will last.

Since they end the world at the second coming of Messiah, they don't know who those are mentioned: *But the rest of the dead lived not until the thousand years were finished*; they never answer who these dead are to be saved *after* the thousand years are finished, if all the dead are saved during the thousand years which they make the Church age?

These spiritualize that the devil is bound in the bottomless pit at Calvary.  Some amillenialist claim that Jesus is really Michael the archangel.  One famous amillennialist of the Presbyterians (William Cox), said when questioned if this was so, how is it that the devil is out of the pit and waring against the Saints, the Church, and the Apostles, and even has a seat in Pergamos? He replied that all he could figure out was that the devil must be out of the pit on some probation. But if the devil is bound for a thousand years and the thousand years is figurative of the whole Church age, would not the devil then be bound the whole Church age?  What devil have these Pentecostals been casting out for the last hundred years?   William Cox put his statement about the devil being out on probation in his book on *Amillennialism For Today.* The devil out on probation? What a hoot!

Amillennialist spiritualize the rapture. A real amillenialist does not believe in the rapture and against this they rail vehemently. Most amillennialist take the words *caught up together to meet the Lord in the air* as meaning caught up in euphoria, and the word *clouds* to mean glory. So they hate the so-called rapture doctrine and teach that when Jesus comes to earth every eye shall see him and being caught up in the euphoria of the moment they are ushered into the presence or glory of the Lord ON EARTH, not in the physical air. This scares me, because the antichrist will stir up euphoria and a fake glory and to this many millions will flock.  Many spiritualize being changed from mortality to immortality as being filled with the Holy Ghost and that our bodies will not change to one that is spiritual, but be given back immortality.

Now, prior to the Church having existed a thousand years, such a heresy could have claimed this, but the rationality of claiming it now, borders on the insane. And those who lived early in this thousand years like Clement, Origen, Augustine, et al, could make all sorts of allegations but now in retrospect we know they were false and deceived.

And, please note, that in all of their writings, these never did spiritualize the 1,000 years into 2,000 years as done by amillennialist today. They quite expected the earth to last only that 1,000 years and come to an explosive end. But when it did not end in 1000AD, the whole doctrine needed revision.  Then it was necessary to invent and correct Clement, Origen, and Augustine, about the millennial being spiritualized to cover the whole Church age.

Since this is just a simple web-site and a few pages on this issue, all of the heresy cannot be treated. And, it is customary for amillennialist that if you do not prove all of their doctrine is false in every aspect of their theory, they will take one or two issues not dealt with as proof the whole doctrine is still valid, and go BACK and take up those portions proven to be false. This proves their dishonesty in handling the Word of God. This demonstrates how slippery an amillennialist can be, and they are not ashamed or timid, to call anyone who exposes their Catholic heresy liars and false prophets. So, keep the e-mail coming folks, my hate mail will as usual be tremendous.  Getting rid of Roman riddles seems to be a chore even among the Oneness Apostolic and Pentecostal Churches.


Scriptures that prove the Millennial

Matthew 19:28--And Jesus said unto them, Truly I say unto you, that ye which have followed me, in the regeneration when the Messiah comes in the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel.

Matthew 25:31--When the Messiah shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory.

This coming with power and great glory with his angels is well documented (Matthew 24:30-31).  And that he sits on an earthly throne after this coming cannot be disproven. Right now, John saw him on a Throne in heaven.  He is there as God and reigns as God on that throne.  He has never ceased to be God and there has ever been a Kingdom of God in heaven.  He said:  Heaven is my throne and the earth is my footstool.  But he also said to the Apostles his throne would be upon this earth. He brought this heavenly Kingdom to earth and he will reign here in person as the heir of David's throne in the millennial.

2Peter 3:8--But beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 

In verse 7 it appears Apostle Peter had given a prophecy of the very end of the world when it would be destroyed.  Then in retrospect of a time before that event he gives us the prophecy of the thousand years and equates it as one day with the Lord. He urges us not to be ignorant of this time frame of a day being equal to a thousand years.

Revelation 20:4--And I saw thrones, and they that sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus,and for the word of God,and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither has received his mark upon their foreheads, or upon their hands; and they lived and reigned with Messiah a thousand years.

Matthew 25:34--Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come ye blessed of God, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.

1Corinthians 6:9--Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God?  Be not deceived:  neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, etc. ect.

Revelation 21:7--They that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be their God, and they shall be my elect.

Revelation 5:10--And has made us unto God kings and priests:  and we shall reign on the earth.

Revelation 20:6--Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Messiah, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

It is obvious that the 1,000 years follows the resurrection.  It is also obvious the 1,000 years is a time when death has no power over the Saints of God. This can only be after the second coming at which time it is said:

1Corinthians 15:54--So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory.

It is further obvious that the 1,000 years is after the first physical resurrection of those dead, after death has no power, that the resurrected Saints reign as Priests of God for one thousand years.  The sequence must remain intact and in sequential order.  The same 1,000 years the devil is bound is the same 1,000 years those who were martyred for not taking the mark of the beast are physically raised in a resurrection and reign with the Lord.  

To say the 1,000 years runs concurrently or parallel with the Church is to say the physical resurrection of those who were martyred is past.  The amillennialist have yet to prove there are resurrected martyrs in the world and have been here since their alleged 1,000 began.  Such is demanded if the spiritualization of the 1,000 years as the Church age is correct.  Are there many thousands of Saints who already have immortality and are deathless, and that they are now as Priest reigning with Messiah upon the earth?

The present Ministry of the Church are not reigning and are forbidden to be Lord's over God's heritage.  They are nor deathless.  And the resurrection and immortality have not come yet because Jesus has not returned.  To have immortality here now is to say that Jesus has come already.  And if he has, what of their end of the world when he comes.  Why are we still here?  Why has not the world ended?  Please read on now as I bring forth more on this important endtime subject.


 Amillennialism What's That

Amilllennial is divided into two syllables, A-millennial. The "A" in the Greek means "NO" and "Amillennial" means "1,000." Hence, "Amillennial" means "NO 1,000" and refers to Revelation chapter 20:1-6, where "Amillennialist" claim the 1,000 year reign of Messiah upon the earth in person, is a false doctrine."

Notes on Chiliaism: Chiliaism is divided into two syllables Chilia-ism. The word "chilia" comes from the Greek word for 1,000, "chilioi," Strong's 5507. "Ism" means in a sense, a doctrine or study of a particular belief or held tenet of Faith. Hence, "AChilianism" means the study or belief in the 1,000. This refers to Revelation 20:1-6 and the 1,000 year literal reign of Messiah upon the earth. That Amillenialism was an Augustine attempt to "REPLACE" the much older "Chilianism," is admitted by William E. Cox, in his book: Amillennialism Today:"

"Chiliasts of the early centuries after Christ had no teachings about a secret rapture [Cox p 9]." Here, the amillennialist admit that the "Chiliasts" existed early in the Church as if it was the ORIGINAL view of the Apostles and Saints [some references and commentary from the writings of the Ante-Nicene Fathers will follow later in this examination].

"Augustine (A.D. 400) usually is credited with having crystallized amillennial teachings [Cox p 8]." "Amillennialism, ...is the historic Protestant view, as expressed in the creeds of the Reformation period including the Westminster Standards [p. 39, Biblical and Theological Studies, Benjamin B. Warfield, as written by Samuel G. Craig, in the biographical chapter]."

Anyone with clear perception can see the obvious connection between Catholicism and Protestantism in regards to the doctrine of amillennialism. From the days of Augustine until the Reformation, the doctrine of Catholicism was amillennialism. Because of hatred against John's Revelation by the Catholic Church, brought on by those who alleged the Catholic Church was the great whore, coupled with denial of the doctrine of the millennial by the antichiliasts, Rome refused to Canonize the book of Revelation. Although they were fearful not to include it among the accepted writings because of the threats within it, it was not until the Council of Trent [1545 AD], that the book of Revelation was Canonized.

Martin Luther, like the Catholics, did not hold that the book of Revelation should be among the Canonical books. Therefore, Lutheranism attempts to continue Augustine-Catholicism and prove what is in the book of Revelation by other Scriptures, while at the same time saying that their interpretations are the true de-coding of what is symbolized in the book of Revelation. To them, all of Prophecy was fulfilled by the end of the year in 70AD, and this negates the value of the book of Revelation in its entirety after the 70AD date. They also believe water baptism is the first resurrection of Rev. 20:1-10. So the Jesus name Pentecostal Apostolics who adopt these Catholic novations are just as much in error as if they believed in the trinity doctrine.

When Lutherans, Presbyterians, Catholics, and other amillennialists see or hear of anyone who believes the book of Revelation contains unfulfilled prophecy, they snicker, and with a chagrin, cover their mouths, and with gestures of thumbs down, indicate that such a person is utterly stupid for not embracing the Augustine-Catholic doctrine as they have done. Martin Luther died a few months after the Council of Trent Canonized the book of Revelation as a useless but historical book of the Church.

When Luther [1483-1546], began what we know as the Reformation, he did not change from the doctrine of Augustine amillennialism, he in fact enshrined it more harshly among his followers. To this day, the amillennialist do not hold the book of Revelation as a holy book. They still treat it with the pre-Trent hatred of the Catholic Church. The proof, is the way they insist on reinterpreting it and spiritualizing its contents into the most wildest and crazy tales since the Gnostics of the first century. Thus, Lutheranism, Presbyterianism, and Catholicism, are staunchly amillennial. This attitude forces them to interpret events after 70 AD in the wrong light of Scripture. Events that will lead up to the appearance of the man of sin, will be pooh poohed as foolish and hair-brained sensationalism, incited by a few apostates not in the main-stream Churches. This turns attention from the antichrist system and focuses upon those who might condemn their Augustine reinterpretations. This leads to the amillennialist openly condemning everyone who is a millennialist, while at the same time ignorantly endorsing the antichrist movement, because they believe it was already destroyed by the end of the year in 70 AD. This is a dangerous posture, and will cause many millions to be deceived and lost. Believing that antichrist has already come and Revelation 13 has already been fulfilled, they have no doctrinal reason to expect or to attempt to identify the man of sin or the antichrist, which is soon to appear. It is so easy to deceive millions when the devil can change the interpretation of the Word of God, like he did with Eve: "Ye shall NOT surely die," adding one word, and changing the true interpretation of what God had said. Jesus told John there would be a millennial. The devil comes along and says: "There will NOT be a millennial. Same trick word used each time to deceive God's children.

One of the catalyst that has cemented world-wide unity among a number of Protestant denominations, is their doctrine of amillennialism. By uniting upon the basis of all believing in amillennialism, they have for a central theme of unity, that they can bring the Kingdom of God upon the earth, to fulfill their theory of how the Church age will end just prior to the end of the world and the judgment. Being thus deceived, they fulfill the plot of antichrist to set up the world to accept "MONOTHEISTIC UNIVERSALISM." A bumper sticker seen recently, explains what "MONOTHEISTIC UNIVERSALISM" means. It read: "God is big enough to accept all religions." Many look for antichrist to set up one religion world wide. But what we are finding, is that in the doctrine of monotheistic universalism, antichrist is teaching multi-culturalism, return to pagan religions, and that these are all equally acceptable ways and means to reach the ONE TRUE GOD [the meaning of monotheism]. Most, if not all of the amillennial churches, now believe in multi-culturalism and acceptance of pagan nature religions, thus universal monotheism, or ONE GOD over all religions. Instead of uniting to bring into being the Kingdom of God and convert pagans to Christ, they have brought into being the antichrist world movement of universal monotheism, out of the midst of which, will come the man of sin to rule all multi-cultural nations and religions from Jerusalem.

It is obvious that from Augustine in 400 AD to the death of Martin Luther in 1546, the doctrine enforced with death from the throne of Rome was amillennialism. Although the amillennialist admit where their doctrine came from, they also deny it, when it is convenient to keep those who might be alarmed at its Catholic womb, from fleeing from their Churches. By covering this chilling detail up, they are in fact lying to their congregations, by inferring and claiming that amillennialism was the original doctrine of Christ and the Apostles. They attack dispensationalism, calling it a novation, while elevating amillennialism, which is admitted by them to be an Augustine novation. The fact is, both are wrong. Millennialism as taught by the early Church was neither dispensationalism nor amillennialism. For either group to claim otherwise, openly exposes either a lack of integrity concerning Truth, or they are simply ignorant of the facts, relying rather on the authority of Church traditions and not the Testimony of Scripture.

It is true that most Roman Catholic theologians are amillenarians [Cox p. 2]." "There is no connection between Protestant amillennialism and Roman Catholicism [Cox p. 2]." "Most if not all of the leaders of the Protestant Reformation were amillennial in their eschatology, following the teaching of Augustine [Cox p. 7]."

Unless amillennialism was a new Protestant invention, how could anyone claim that the Protestant Reformers did not get their doctrine from the Catholic Church? Let us not lose sight of the fact that amillennialism, like the trinity doctrine, is a Catholic novation, a reinterpretation by Augustine [354-430 AD]. Although Augustine's mother was supposed to be a Catholic, his father died an unconverted pagan. Augustine followed his father's footsteps and was a pagan and sought education in philosophy, science, and rhetoric. Plato was his mentor.  He rejected religion until converted to Manichaeanism which in one aspect many were Monarchian. He rose in the sect of Manichaeans from a hearer to a teacher and then a wonderful debater. In 383 at the age of 29 he went to Rome with the encouragement of his Manichaean friends to debate the trinity and on other issues. There, he became acquainted with the doctrine of Neo-Platoism (Plato he loved), that the Catholic Church had adopted in 325 AD as an explanation of the trinity. He gave up his Monarchian (oneness) doctrine for this new trinity doctrine. Within three years of his visit, in 386 AD he converted to the papacy and was promoted quickly as one of the Pope's greatest theologians and neo-Platonic philosophers. Augustine left his wife and became a monk and founded the Augustinian Benedictine Monk Order (Martin Luther's).  While he altered many of his views to those of the papacy, he also brought to it many Manichaean ideas and theories which he adopted over into and applied these to his new Catholicism.

Remember, that other fermenting events were then shaping Catholicism: 1.) The doctrine in 325 AD, of the Father and the Son being co-eternal and of the same substance [Spirit], but different persons; 2.) The addition of the Holy Ghost as a co-eternal and equal separate person, completing the Neo-Platonic concept of the Trinity, done at the Council of Constantinople in 384 AD; 3.) And at this time, Jerome was in Israel consulting with several Jews on his commission from Rome to rewrite and retranslate the Bible into Latin, taking into consideration new newest Jewish and Catholic slants on Biblical reinterpretation [this is noticed in the first person written form in the Gospels being replaced with third person written form, and additions and changes in the text, two of which are John 5:7 and Matthew 28:19, the first now proven not to be in any of the ancient manuscripts, and the latter not at all like it was fabricated in the Vulgate and then in the King James Version. Trinitarian language was injected into the sacred record in hundreds of places to reinforce the new Neo-Platonic doctrines of Rome]. Augustine came among the mix at a time when Catholicism was ripe for novation and reinterpretation from within the abyss of paganized Christendom, which birthed out of the midst, the DARK AGES!

In Augustine's day, much of the doctrine of the Catholic Church was not in any creed or statement of faith. The amillennial doctrine was one of them. It is this writers belief and contention that amillennialism, clearly a Manichaean doctrine, and having wide-spread acclaim by reason of the saturation of the nations with Manichaeanism, was brought into Catholicism by Augustine from his former religion. No one denies that amillennialism rose within Augustineism and then existed against the Chiliaist or believers of the future 1,000 year reign of Christ upon the earth. What is still being debated, is whether those who held the amillennial theory were not in fact originally the Manichaeans. The fact that amillennialism existed and was wide-spread in opposition to "historic" Chiliaism, is no proof that it was the doctrine of the Apostles. The earliest we have traced it is to Clement and Origen, both of whom were gnostics.  Until the root of amillennialism is discovered, the only conclusion that can be drawn is that until Augustine, it was not an established doctrine of the Catholic Church or he would not have been the one to establish it, but would have received it in an already accepted form as would have been held in all Catholic Churches in fellowship with Rome.

The doctrine of amillennialism is couched in the Catholic Church's denial of the existence of a literal and physical 1,000 year earthly reign of Christ on the earth, after the Church age.


The denial

"First of all, amillennialists do not deny the existence of a millennium. [Cox, p. 1]"

Yes they do deny it. The word "Amillennial" comes from two Latin words "Amilli" which means 1,000, and "ennial" which means year. Thus, "Amillennial"means 1,000 years. The Latin "Amillennial" is the equivalent of the Greek "chilioi" [Strong's 507], and the Hebrew "eleph" [Strong's 505], all meaning 1,000. This is where "translating" the Scriptures from the original writings into other languages takes its test. In translating Scripture, a translator finds an EXACT word corresponding to the original word in the Text, and uses it to convey the original meaning and intent of what was written or spoken. In this case, those who translated the Scriptures from Hebrew into Greek would substitute the Greek "chilioi" for the Hebrew "eleph." Those who translated the Greek "chilioi" into Latin as "Amillennium" would have brought from the Hebrew, through the Greek, the EXACT meaning of the original word spoken or written. Hence, the word "Amillennial" to describe 1,000 years as found in Revelation 20:1-6, is EXACT and SHOULD NOT be spiritualized or mysticised to represent any other time period. The following is proof from their own words that they deny it: 

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