Millennialism

Millennialism (from millennium, Latin for "thousand years"), or chiliasm in Greek, is a belief held by some Christian denominations that there will be a Golden Age or Paradise on Earth in which "Christ will reign" for 1000 years prior to the final judgment and future eternal state (the "World to Come" of the New Heavens and New Earth). This belief is derived primarily from Revelation 20:1–6. Millennialism is a specific form of millenarianism.

Similarities to millennialism are found in Zoroastrianism. It held that there were successive thousand-year periods, each of which will end in a cataclysm of heresy and destruction, until the final destruction of evil and of the spirit of evil by a triumphant king of peace at the end of the final millennial age (supposed by some to be the year 2000). "Then Saoshyant makes the creatures again pure, and the resurrection and future existence occur" (Zand-i Vohuman Yasht 3:62).

Various other social and political movements, both religious and secular, have also been linked to millennialist metaphors by scholars.

Bahá'u'lláh mentioned in the Kitáb-i-Íqán that God will renew the "City of God" about every thousand years, and specifically mentioned that a new Manifestation of God would not appear within 1000 years (1893-2893) of Bahá'u'lláh's message, but that the authority of Bahá'u'lláh's message could last up to 500,000 years.

During the first centuries after Christ, various forms of chiliasm (millennialism) were to be found in the Church, both East and West. It was a decidedly majority view at that time, as admitted by Eusebius, himself an opponent of the doctrine [The History of the Church, Book 3:39]. Nevertheless, strong opposition later developed from some quarters, most notably from Augustine of Hippo. The Church never took a formal position on the issue at any of the ecumenical councils, and thus both pro and con positions remained consistent with orthodoxy. It is sometimes mistakenly claimed that Millennialism was repudiated as a heresy in A.D. 381 at the First Council of Constantinople with its addition of the phrase "whose kingdom shall have no end" to the Nicene Creed, in order to rule out the idea of a Kingdom of God which would last for only 1000 literal years. However, a reading of the canons of the council reveals no mention of millennialism, much less any repudiation, and the doctrine is itself consistent with there being no end to Christ's kingdom since millennialism, while focusing on a particular 1000-year period, does not contemplate a terminus ad quem to the kingdom. Rather, the doctrine holds that after 1000 years of Christ's reign there will be an unsuccessful rebellion on the part of Satan and his allies, a rebellion which will be decisively defeated. Since an unsuccessful revolt does not put an end to any kingdom, the specious reasoning employed by the above noted opponents of millennialism is considered apparent. The addition to the Nicene Creed was, rather, intended to refute the perceived Sabellianism of Marcellus of Ancyra and others, a doctrine which does in fact include an end to Christ's reign and which is explicitly singled out for condemnation by the council [Canon #1]. The Catholic Encyclopedia notes that the 2nd century proponents of various Gnostic beliefs (themselves considered heresies) also rejected millenarianism,.

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