Chiliasm: Will Christ Rule 1,000 Years On Earth?

 

Evangelical Protestants are obsessed with the "End Times" according to their interpretation of The Book of the Apocalypse (referred to by them, and most in the Vatican II sect, as The Book of Revelation).Since the heretical doctrines of "justification by faith alone" (sole fide) and "once saved, always saved" (so-called "perseverance of the saints") guarantee them salvation when they die, there's really not much to do, except to try and see how this world concludes. 

Moreover, Protestants have elaborate and systematic tenets regarding the End Times that are as intricate as they are novel.  The two most debated of these doctrines are those of the Rapture and The Millennial Rule of Christ (aka, Chiliasm from the ancient Greek word khiliasmos, meaning a "thousand"). This post will treat of the Rapture briefly, and focus on Chiliasm. I hear many people (including Vatican II sect members) that Christ will come to rule on Earth for a thousand years. This post will explain why no such occurrence will take place.

The "Rapture"

Originating in the 1700s and popularized in the 1800s, various Protestant sects began to teach that Christians will be taken up in the sky by God before the Antichrist rules the world, after which there will be a literal one thousand year rule of Christ on Earth. Even among Evangelical Protestants, they argue over whether the rapture will take place before, in the middle of, or after the Great Tribulation (referred to as pre-trib, mid-trib, and post-trib, respectively).  The term "rapture" comes from the Latin word rapiemur--"will be caught up." It is used in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17, one of the "proof-texts" for Protestants: "Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in Him. According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever." (Emphasis mine). 

Surprisingly, some Traditionalists think the rapture to be true, or at least possible, not realizing it conflicts with Church teaching. Protestants point to Scripture verses such as St. Matthew 24:40-41, "Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left." And St. Luke 17:34-35, "I tell you, on that night two people will be in one bed; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding grain together; one will be taken and the other left.” 

Remember, all of the Bible must be read with Sacred Tradition and the guidance of the Magisterium. Ironically, right after the main "rapture verse" (quoted above in First Thessalonians), in the second epistle to the Thessalonians, we read, "So then, brothers and sisters, stand firm and hold fast to the traditions we passed on to you, whether by word of mouth or by letter."(Emphasis mine). 

2 Peter 1:20 states, "Understanding this first, that no prophecy of scripture is made by private interpretation." (Emphasis mine). Finally, in  2 Peter 3:16, "As also in all his epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are certain things hard to be understood, which the unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, to their own destruction."

Keeping all this in mind, what are we to make of the "rapture" as Traditionalists? Those Biblical "proof- texts" were always taught to be referring to the Second Coming of Christ. For the "rapture Protestants" He comes back, not once "to judge the living and the dead," but twice. This is heresy. The "caught up" refers to the resurrection of the bodies of the just on the Last Day. As for the "one taken, one left," if you read the next chapter in St. Matthew (chapter 25), it speaks of the sheep and the goats being separated on His right and left. The sheep (the Faithful) go body and soul to Heaven, while the goats (the damned) go body and soul to Hell. All pre-Vatican II theologians taught that the Church must endure throughout the Great Tribulation during which the Antichrist comes into power. "But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved." (St. Matthew 24:13). 

The "Millennial Rule" of Christ

Before I get into the specifics of the Millennial Rule of Christ (MRC), it will be necessary to explain the competing views as to when it occurs in relation to the Rapture. I found a Protestant source which succinctly and correctly captures the essence of the four views held:

Dispensational Premillennialism:

Dispensational premillennialists hold that Christ will come before a seven-year period of intense tribulation to take His church (living and dead) into heaven. After this period of fulfillment of divine wrath, He shall then return to rule from a holy city (i.e., the New Jerusalem) over the earthly nations for one thousand years. After these thousand years, Satan, who was bound up during Christ's earthly reign, will be loosed to deceive the nations, gather an army of the deceived, and take up to battle against the Lord. This battle will end in both the judgment of the wicked and Satan and the entrance into the eternal state of glory by the righteous. This view is called premillenialism because it places the return of Christ before the millennium and it is called dispensational because it is founded in the doctrines of dispensationalism.

Historical Premillennialism:

Historical premillennialists place the return of Christ just before the millennium and just after a time of great apostasy and tribulation. After the millennium, Satan will be loosed and Gog and Magog will rise against the kingdom of God; this will be immediately followed by the final judgment. While similar in some respects to the dispensational variety (in that they hold to Christ's return being previous the establishment of a thousand-year earthly reign), historical premillennialism differs in significant ways (notably in their method of interpreting Scripture).

Postmillennialism:

The postmillennialist believes that the millennium is an era (not a literal thousand years) during which Christ will reign over the earth, not from an literal and earthly throne, but through the gradual increase of the Gospel and its power to change lives. After this gradual Christianization of the world, Christ will return and immediately usher the church into their eternal state after judging the wicked. This is called postmillennialism because, by its view, Christ will return after the millennium.

Amillennialism:

The amillennialist believes that the Kingdom of God was inaugurated at Christ's resurrection (hence the term "inaugurated millennialism") at which point he gained victory over both Satan and the Curse. Christ is even now reigning (hence the term "nunc-millennialism" — nunc means "now") at the right hand of the Father over His church. After this present age has ended, Christ will return and immediately usher the church into their eternal state after judging the wicked. The term "amillennialism" is actually a misnomer for it implies that Revelation 20:1-6 is ignored; in fact, the amillennialist's hermeneutic interprets it (and in fact, much of apocalyptic literature) non-literally.

(See blueletterbible.org/faq/mill.cfm). 

Two considerations: (1) by the term "church" the Protestant heretics mean "all who believe in Christ" and not the One True Church which was founded by Christ as hierarchical and visible; (2) dispensational premillennialism is by far the most prevalent view among Evangelical Protestants today. I will focus on the common view of the MRC. 

The millennium is described as a time when Satan will be bound and, after it is completed, the dead will rise. It is based primarily on Apocalypse 20:1-3, "Then I saw an angel coming down from heaven, holding the key of the abyss and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold of the dragon, the serpent of old, who is the devil and Satan, and bound him for a thousand years; and he threw him into the abyss, and shut it and sealed it over him, so that he would not deceive the nations any longer, until the thousand years were completed; after these things he must be released for a short time." Pre-millennialists believe the millennium is a literal period of 1,000 years when Christ will rule on Earth after he returns in glory. After this reign, Satan will be released one last time when he, along with death and sin, will be conquered at the end of the world. 

What will Earth be like during this time? One Protestant sect explains it thus: During the Millennium, peace and prosperity will reign. Satan will be bound and can no longer deceive and torment mankind. All of God’s creation will be delivered from the bondage of corruption. Romans 8:22 says, “For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now.” The Millennium will be a time of rest for God’s children. It will be a period of blessedness for all the earth. The fact that the saints will reign with Christ during this time is predicted several times. See Matthew 19:28; 1 Corinthians 6:2; Revelation 3:21; 5:10.  (See apostolicfaith.org). Many Protestants talk about the "lion laying down with the lamb" in perfect peace (ironically, the verse they use does not say this, rather in Isaiah 11:6 it states, "And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them;" Emphasis mine).  

For Traditionalists, we believe that Christ will come again in glory to Judge the living and the dead, Whom He will send to Heaven or Hell. The question now remains, "Is it possible to admit that between Christ's return in glory and the Last Judgement, Christ will rule on Earth for a thousand years?" The One True Church answers with a resounding NO! 

All Forms of Chiliasm are Condemned

(The following section is comprised of the teaching of theologians Sagues, Sacrae Theologiae Summa IVB [1955], pgs. 487-492; and theologian Pohle, Dogmatic Theology, [1929], 12:155-160. To these two theological giants I give full attribution---Introibo). 

Chiliasm exists in two forms, Exaggerated [or Crass] Chiliasm and Moderate [or Mitigated] Chiliasm. Proponents of Exaggerated Chiliasm teach that during the MRC there will be sensual pleasures allowed and all will indulge in them. People will neither age nor get sick. The advocates of Moderate Chiliasm say that the pleasures will be of a spiritual nature. The origin of Chiliasm appears to be in the apocryphal writings of the Jews from before Christ which taught of a future time in which humanity will enjoy material goods of every kind; and often some spiritual goods are said to be added to them. Taught about this by Judaism, and interpreting Apocalypse 20 incorrectly, some early members of the Church began to teach Chiliasm, either in Exaggerated or Moderate form. Whereas The Rapture is of recent origin (19th century), Chiliasm goes back to the early Church.

Exaggerated Chiliasm is condemned by all approved theologians as heretical. It stands condemned by the Natural Law, which excludes intemperance and unchastity from the Kingdom of Heaven. It is blasphemous and an insult to Almighty God to assert that Christ, Second Person of the Most Holy Trinity, hypostatically united to a human nature, will found an Earthly Kingdom of libertines which violates His All-Holy Attributes. It's no wonder that even those Fathers of the Church who entertained Chiliastic ideas vigorously condemned this hedonistic species of MRC as heretical.  

Moderate Chiliasm is erroneous. It contradicts a truth revealed by God but not certainly proposed as such by the Church. To knowingly hold an erroneous doctrine is a mortal sin directly against the Faith. 

Proof: Negatively, the Church has never mentioned in Her authoritative documents and decrees anything about a thousand year Earthly rule by Christ. From the beginning, the One True Church has taught of Christ returning in glory, and then Judging the living and the dead who go immediately to their reward or punishment.  

Positively, there have been two decisions on this topic from the Supreme Sacred Congregation of the Holy Office. In 1941, the Holy Office gave the following response to Archbishop Jacobi of Chile who asked about Chiliasm that was being promoted in his archdiocese: The system of millennialism, even in the mitigated form--namely, the teaching that according to Catholic revelation Christ the Lord will come again before the Last Judgement, whether preceded or not by the resurrection of many just persons, bodily to this Earth in order to reign--cannot be taught safely. Your Excellency should take great care lest the said doctrine be taught, propagated, defended, or recommended under any pretext whatsoever, whether verbally or by writings of any kind. This decision was approved and promulgated by order of Pope Pius XII.

Three years later, in 1944, the Holy Office responded to the following question submitted for a decision: "What should be thought about the system of mitigated millennialism, which teaches that Christ the Lord, before the Last Judgement, whether preceded or not by the resurrection of many just persons, will come into this world visibly in order to reign." Response of the Holy Office: The system of mitigated millennialism cannot be safely taught. This decision was also approved and promulgated by order of Pope Pius XII. Unlike the response of 1941, the Holy Office condemns mitigated millennialism even if taught as a theory and not "according to Catholic revelation," and even if the so-called MRC is "visible" (an apparition of Christ) and not Bodily. Hence, all forms of mitigated millennialism (moderate chiliasm) stand condemned. 

MRC Rejected by Scripture

The Bible nowhere speaks about a MRC. It so joins the general resurrection of the dead and the Last Judgement, which is followed by the immediate execution of the sentence, with the Second Coming of Christ, that it leaves no place for a thousand year kingdom. After the Last Judgement there is no thousand year kingdom for the just, but an eternal one (St. Matthew 25:34). After the resurrection of the dead on the last day (St. John 6:39) there will be on that same day the Last Judgement (St. John 14:48) and the immediate bestowal of reward or punishment ( 1 Thessalonians 4:15). 

Apocalypse chapter 20 does nothing to prove Chiliasm. Both St. Augustine and Pope St. Gregory the Great interpret it thus: The imprisonment of Satan refers to Christ's first coming, and his temporary loosening to His Second Coming (Parousia) at the time of the Antichrist. Christ's "millennial reign" is with His saints in Heaven, where the blessed reign with Him until the resurrection of the dead on the Last Day. Similarly, the term "first death" refers to physical death, and "second death" refers to eternal damnation. The number "one thousand" need not be literal, but indicates an indefinite period time of considerable length. Many Catholic exegetes accept this interpretation. 

MRC Rejected by Sacred Tradition

Despite appearances to the contrary, Chiliasm has no foundation in Tradition. Some early Christians held to Chiliasm, but it was rejected by the Fathers. It was accepted by Tertullian only after he became a heretic. St. Justin Martyr and St. Irenaeus wrote about Chiliasm as a mere personal opinion stated as such. St. Jerome mentions "the fable of a thousand years," and St. Augustine, who at first admitted Chiliasm, subsequently rejected it as false. The great theologian Franzelin in his work De Divina Traditione et Scriptura, [1882], writes, "Therefore, in general, given the constant and firm consensus of the Fathers and Doctors at least from the 5th century up to our own time, there can be no doubt that they rejected this opinion [Chiliasm]." 

Conclusion

If any Protestant, or Vatican II sect member, tells you about "the rapture" and the "Millennial Rule of Christ" which will follow, don't you believe it. Contrary to a popular series of books, we need not worry about being "Left Behind," but rather we must focus on not being led astray. "But he that shall persevere to the end, he shall be saved." (St. Matthew 24:13).