What does "premillennialism" mean?
A concept in Christian eschatology that the Second Coming of Christ will happen before the millennium.
Premillennialism
/pɹiːmɪˈlɛnɪəlɪz(ə)m/ noun
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A concept in Christian eschatology that the Second Coming of Christ will happen before the millennium.
- Grammar: premillennialism is listed as noun.
- Usage evidence: In America before the Civil War premillennialism of a traditional variety was an important minority position held by some mainline Protestant leaders. It did not differ greatly from the postmillenialism of the same era. Both saw history as controlled by a cosmic struggle, both allowed for interpreting some Biblical prophecies literally, and both thought that some prophecies about the time immediately preceding the millennium were already being fulfilled in current events. They disagreed primarily over whether Christ would come before or after the millennium. The premillenialists were prone to a more literal interpretation of Scripture and were less hopeful concerning progress. During the 1860s, premillennialism of this sort was rapidly rising in popularity.
How to use "premillennialism"
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Source and review context
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Definitions
Noun
- 1 A concept in Christian eschatology that the Second Coming of Christ will happen before the millennium. uncountable
"In America before the Civil War premillennialism of a traditional variety was an important minority position held by some mainline Protestant leaders. It did not differ greatly from the postmillenialism of the same era. Both saw history as controlled by a cosmic struggle, both allowed for interpreting some Biblical prophecies literally, and both thought that some prophecies about the time immediately preceding the millennium were already being fulfilled in current events. They disagreed primarily over whether Christ would come before or after the millennium. The premillenialists were prone to a more literal interpretation of Scripture and were less hopeful concerning progress. During the 1860s, premillennialism of this sort was rapidly rising in popularity."
Example
"In America before the Civil War premillennialism of a traditional variety was an important minority position held by some mainline Protestant leaders. It did not differ greatly from the postmillenialism of the same era. Both saw history as controlled by a cosmic struggle, both allowed for interpreting some Biblical prophecies literally, and both thought that some prophecies about the time immediately preceding the millennium were already being fulfilled in current events. They disagreed primarily over whether Christ would come before or after the millennium. The premillenialists were prone to a more literal interpretation of Scripture and were less hopeful concerning progress. During the 1860s, premillennialism of this sort was rapidly rising in popularity."
Common questions
How do you use "premillennialism" in a sentence?
In America before the Civil War premillennialism of a traditional variety was an important minority position held by some mainline Protestant leaders. It did not differ greatly from the postmillenialism of the same era. Both saw history as controlled by a cosmic struggle, both allowed for interpreting some Biblical prophecies literally, and both thought that some prophecies about the time immediately preceding the millennium were already being fulfilled in current events. They disagreed primarily over whether Christ would come before or after the millennium. The premillenialists were prone to a more literal interpretation of Scripture and were less hopeful concerning progress. During the 1860s, premillennialism of this sort was rapidly rising in popularity.
How do you pronounce "premillennialism"?
Pronounced /pɹiːmɪˈlɛnɪəlɪz(ə)m/.
Etymology
From premillennial + -ism.