History of the Millennialists

Christians originally borrowed the idea of a millennium from the Jews, but in its widest sense the idea was not original with the Jews. Various heathen nations–Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome–had an idea of a future golden age of the world when evil would be suppressed. Zoroastrianism expected a thousand-year period to follow the downfall of hostile powers, which period was connected with a resurrection of the dead.

The later Jewish conception of such a period would naturally be colored by these views of a similar period held by the nations about them. The Jewish conception, however, was based principally upon the Messianic-predictions of the Old Testament. There the Messiah was represented as executing judgment upon the enemies of Israel, as reestablishing the throne of David at Jerusalem in great splendor, as exalting Israel, and as ruling over the Gentiles. Then the wilderness would blossom as the rose, the soil would be very fertile, and nature especially prolific, while wild beasts would become docile and wars would cease among men.

Because of a literal interpretation of these prophecies, the Jews generally expected the Messiah to establish an earthly kingdom. Such was the common expectation of the Jews of the time of Christ. Even the apostles held such a view only a short time prior to Jesus’ ascension, in spite of the fact that He had taught again and again that the kingdom is not of this world.

The rabbinical writers held some very exaggerated notions of the material benefits of the reign of the Messiah. The earth was to yield many thousandfold, and grain, fruit, and flesh were to be provided in immeasurable abundance.

But Jesus disappointed those carnal hopes. He neither established nor promised to establish such an earthly kingdom. In the words of the New Schaff-Herzog Encyclopedia of Religious Knowledge, “The teaching of Christ is not millenarian.”

As much may be truly said of the teachings of the epistles of the New Testament. The apostles taught a present spiritual kingdom of Christ.

—R. R. Byrum