What is Chiliasm?
Also known as Millennialism, Premillennialism, Millenarianism
The doctrine of the advent of a sensual millennial kingdom of Christ on earth (in Jerusalem).
The beginning of chiliasm dates back to pre-Christian times. Most Jews saw in the promised Messiah not a Redeemer from sin, damnation and death, but an earthly king who would create his kingdom on earth and give power and authority to the Jewish people.
Jews who converted to Christianity brought such views into the Church.
The father and the first propagator of the sensual millennium is the heretic of the apostolic age Cerinthus.
He taught that when Christ sets up his 1000-year kingdom on earth, he will restore Jerusalem to its former splendor and majesty and will again introduce the fulfillment of all the prescriptions and regulations of the ritual law of Moses, with all the Old Testament sacrifices; the happiness and bliss of the righteous will then consist of all kinds of sensual pleasure.
Augustine refuted the millenarian idea that after 6,000 years there would be an earthly millennium. Instead, he argued, the Seventh Age began with the Incarnation.
Augustine believed that the millennium was not a future event but already in progress, already set in motion by Christ. Augustine used the notion of the Two Cities. There was a heavenly city, the celestial Jerusalem, where the millennium was already manifest, and a terrestrial Babylon, the time-bound city of violence and oppression in which the millennium was not visible. These two cities would coexist as a corpus permixtum (a mixed body) in every saint and in every church until the Eschaton.
Dionysius of Alexandria refuted the Chiliastic doctrine against which Origen had dealt so heavy blows (belief in a literal 1000-year reign of Christ on earth). Dionysius succeeded in expelling Chiliasm from the Church.
Chiliasm was condemned at the Council of Nicea. The Church, having condemned the heretic Apollinaris of Laodicea, also condemned his teaching about the millennial kingdom. For this purpose, the phrase, "whose kingdom will have no end” were added to the Nicene Creed.
The Church understands the millennial kingdom as an indefinite period of time from the beginning of the grace-filled kingdom of the Church to the end of the world.
The first resurrection means the spiritual rebirth of people into eternal life in Christ in baptism which is sometimes called resurrection (Colossians 3, Ephesians 2).
The temporary release of the devil from prison for a short time means the appearance on earth of the antichrist shortly before the end of the world, which will be followed by the universal and final judgment.
The second death is the condemnation of sinners at the universal judgment, which will not affect those who have participation in the first resurrection, that is, spiritually regenerated in Christ and purified by His grace.
Eusebius rejected Papias' claims with almost contempt. It is assumed that he assimilated these ideas, he said, due to a misunderstanding of the apostolic writings, not realizing to himself that the things they spoke about were expressed in mystical images (Church History 3.38).
One of the things that gave rise to mistrust for the millennium was the fact that, without a doubt, it leaned towards a materialistic interpretation, which offered physical pleasure on a par with spiritual pleasure. Eusebius tells how Dionysius of Alexandria had to deal with a very respected bishop named Nepos, who taught and talked about a thousand-year period of bodily luxury on this earth (Church History 7.24). The heretic Cerinthus deliberately spoke of the millennial gluttony, overeating, drunkenness (Church History 3.28).
Jerome spoke almost with contempt of those who are waiting for a Jerusalem with overflowing gold and precious stones from heaven.
Origen reprimanded those who awaited bodily pleasures in a millennium. The saints will indeed eat, but it will be the bread of life, they will drink, but it will be a cup of wisdom (On First Principles).
Augustine, on the other hand, we might say, dealt an almost fatal blow to the doctrine of the millennium. At one time he himself was a supporter of this doctrine of the millennium, however he learned to see in the captivity of Satan the binding of the strong man as predicted by the Lord.
Matthew 12:29
How can one enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man? And then he will plunder his house.
Mark 3:27
No one can enter a strong man’s house and plunder his goods, unless he first binds the strong man. Then indeed he may plunder his house.
Luke 11:21”-”¬22
When the strong man, fully armed, guards his own house, his goods are safe, but when a stronger man than he attacks and conquers him, he takes away his armor on which he relied, and distributes his plunder.
Ephesians 4:7-10
To each one of us grace has been given as Christ distributed it. Therefore it says, When He ascended on high, He led a host of captives (plunder), and distributed gifts to men.
Psalm 68:18
You ascended on high, leading a host of captives and receiving (NT: distributing) gifts among men, even among the rebellious, that the LORD God may live among them.
In a thousand years - the entire period between the First Advent and the last battle.
In the first resurrection - spiritual participation in the resurrection of Christ, which belongs to all the baptized. (Augustine, On the City of God).
Chiliasm has never been an accepted teaching of the Church.
