Millennial Views Comparison Chart*
Dispensational Premillennialism Historic Premillennialism Postmillennialism Amillennialism Favored
hermeneutic Strict literal Grammatico-historical Covenant-historical Redemptive-historical Views church and The church is the fulfillment of The church is the fulfillment of The church is the eschatological fulfillment
of The rapture The church is raptured before a seven-year
tribulation (the seventieth week of Daniel - Daniel 9:24-27). This
tribulational period contains the reign of the AntiChrist.
The saints, living and dead,
shall meet the Lord in the clouds as he comes to earth to commence the
millennial reign. The rapture is temporily
coincident with the Second Coming, both of which occur at the end of
the church age The saints, living and dead,
shall meet the Lord in the clouds and immediately proceed to judge the
nations with Christ and then follow Him into their eternal state. The literal physical kingdom reign,
anticipated by the OT prophets, during which God will fulfill all the
OT promises to ethnic The literal physical kingdom reign
anticipated by the OT and NT prophets. A spiritual entity experienced on earth
through the Christianizing effect of the Gospel. A spiritual reality in which all Christians
partake presently by faith, but by sight at the consummation. Millennium Christ will return at the end of the great
tribulation to institute a thousand-year rule from a
the New Jerusalem. Those believing in Christ during the
"seventieth week of Daniel" who survive
will go on to populate the earth during this time. Those raptured or
raised prior to the tribulational will reign with Christ over the
millennial population. This view sees the re-establishment of temple
worship and animal sacrifices as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice. Christ will return to institute a
thousand-year reign on earth after the tribulation period. Others like
J. Barton Payne argure for an imminent Second Coming. A "golden age" leading up to Christ's second
advent during which Christ will virtually rule over the whole earth
through an unprecedented spread of the Gospel; the large majority of
people will become Christian. Inaugurated with Christ's resurrection. In
an "already/not yet" sense, Christ already reigns over all and is
already victorious over Satan. Major
proponents C. I. Scofield, John Walvoord, Charles
Ryrie, Lewis S. Chafer,
J. Dwight Pentecost, Charles C. Ryrie, Tim Lahaye, Hal Lindsay W.J. Erdman, George Eldon Ladd, Robert
Gundry, Robert
Culver, Walter
Martin, J. Barton Payne, John Warwick Montgomery, Wayne Grudem. Lorraine Boettner,
Rousas J. Rushdoony, Greg L. Bahnson,
Kenneth L. Gentry Jr., David Chilton, R.C. Sproul , Gary North. Charles Hodge, Meredith Kline, Kim
Riddlerbarger, Robert B. Strimple, Gregory
Beale, Anthony
Hoekema, Vern Poythress, John Murray, Louis Berkhof.
* chart adapted from Wikipedia
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