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A Description of Chiliasm
It has been shown that belief in chiliasm was present in the Ante-Nicene church.
There were some who promoted it, and others who denied it. This section will present a
description of this one thousand year kingdom of Christ as its proponents understood and
explained it.
Chiliasm a Time of Reward
Several of the fathers understood that the chiliastic kingdom was to be a time of
reward for the saints. In at least one case, the various "classes" of saints are even
enumerated.
In dialogue Justins Dialogue with Trypho, Trypho comes across in almost
accusatory fashion, saying "... you expect your people to be gathered together, and made
joyful with Christ, the patriarchs, and the prophets-both men of the nation, and other
proselytes who joined them before your Christ came?"
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This statement is significant in
that it summarizes accepted (but not universal) beliefs of Christians of that day. In it we
find that church age believers (who are mostly Gentiles) are joined with together with the
patriarchs, prophets, proselytes and the believing people Israel in a kingdom of joy with
Christ.
Tertullian wrote that "After its thousand years are over (within which period is
completed the resurrection of the saints, who rise sooner or later according to their
deserts), there will follow the destruction of the world..." After this shall come
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Ante-Nicene Fathers, Dialogue with Trypho. Vol.1, 239.