Below is a quote from Sam Storms. He is describing Dispensational Premillennialism.
"To be a Premillennialist of any sort, you must believe that physical death and the curse on the natural creation will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s return. You must believe that the New Heavens and New Earth will not be introduced until 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ. You must believe that unbelieving men and women will still have the opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ for at least 1,000 years subsequent to his return. To be a Premillennialist, you must believe that unbelievers will not be finally resurrected until at least 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return and that unbelievers will not be finally judged and cast into eternal punishment until at least 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return."
And I would add, that to be a premillennialist you must believe that all the Old Testament prophesies of a future millennial temple must be physical, and that it must be erected in physical Jerusalem prior to the renewal of the New Heavens and Earth, and that all the Old Covenant ceremonial laws (sacrifices, feasts, sabbaths, and circumcision) will all be observed, and in fact, one in that age must become a physical Jew prior to their justification by God for salvation, just as they had to under the Old Covenant.
Though our hermeneutical presuppositions (and all of us must admit that we are forced to come to the scriptures with some assumptions) are the architecture by which we understand the Word in an organized and systematic fashion, Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, or millennialism is a conclusive detail that points back to the way we interpret scripture.
One more clarification on the definition of "A"-millennialism. It cannot be assumed that Premillennialists know that "Amillenialists" do believe in a millennialism, even though the term connotes that we believe in NO millennium, this is not true. It would be better understood as Anthony Hoekema and others have put it, as realised millenialism, with an emphasis on the "already" and the "not yet". That Christ inaugurated the Kingdom at His first coming and He will consummate it at His second; so I can say that the Kingdom of God/Heaven began to intrude upon His creation at Christ's birth and will be ultimately and finally realized when Christ returns in all His glory.
"To be a Premillennialist of any sort, you must believe that physical death and the curse on the natural creation will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s return. You must believe that the New Heavens and New Earth will not be introduced until 1,000 years subsequent to the return of Christ. You must believe that unbelieving men and women will still have the opportunity to come to saving faith in Christ for at least 1,000 years subsequent to his return. To be a Premillennialist, you must believe that unbelievers will not be finally resurrected until at least 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return and that unbelievers will not be finally judged and cast into eternal punishment until at least 1,000 years subsequent to Christ’s return."
And I would add, that to be a premillennialist you must believe that all the Old Testament prophesies of a future millennial temple must be physical, and that it must be erected in physical Jerusalem prior to the renewal of the New Heavens and Earth, and that all the Old Covenant ceremonial laws (sacrifices, feasts, sabbaths, and circumcision) will all be observed, and in fact, one in that age must become a physical Jew prior to their justification by God for salvation, just as they had to under the Old Covenant.
Though our hermeneutical presuppositions (and all of us must admit that we are forced to come to the scriptures with some assumptions) are the architecture by which we understand the Word in an organized and systematic fashion, Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, or millennialism is a conclusive detail that points back to the way we interpret scripture.
One more clarification on the definition of "A"-millennialism. It cannot be assumed that Premillennialists know that "Amillenialists" do believe in a millennialism, even though the term connotes that we believe in NO millennium, this is not true. It would be better understood as Anthony Hoekema and others have put it, as realised millenialism, with an emphasis on the "already" and the "not yet". That Christ inaugurated the Kingdom at His first coming and He will consummate it at His second; so I can say that the Kingdom of God/Heaven began to intrude upon His creation at Christ's birth and will be ultimately and finally realized when Christ returns in all His glory.
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