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The standard millennial positions (each being a system of eschatology in its own right) may be summarized briefly as follows:

	Premillennialism teaches that there will be a future, literal, earthly millennial kingdom, and that it will begin when Christ returns. The pre- indicates that Christ will return before the millennial kingdom is established.
	Amillennialism teaches that there will be no literal millennial kingdom.  The prefix a- indicates a simple negation.
	Postmillennialism teaches that Christ will return after (post-) the millennial kingdom concludes. (pg 194)

What is in view is not simply chronology, but the nature of the kingdom of God.  These positions also differ in their understanding of history, whether it be optimistic or pessimistic, and in their views of the church's strategy in fulfilling her mission. (pg 195)

The following are features of Amillennialism:

	The church age is the kingdom era prophesied in the Old Testament,  as the New Testament church becomes the Israel of God.
	Satan was bound during Jesus' earthly ministry, restraining him while the Gospel is being preached in the world.
	Insofar as Christ presently rules in the hearts of believers, they will have some influence on culture while living out their faith.
	Toward the end evil's growth will accelerate, culminating in the great tribulation and a personal antichrist.
	Christ will return to end history, resurrect and judge all men, and establish the eternal order.  The eternal destiny of the redeemed may be either in heaven or in a totally renovated new earth. (pg 196)

The following are features of Dispensational Premillennialism:

	Christ offered to the Jews the Davidic kingdom in the first century.  They rejected it, and it was postponed until the future.
	The current church age is a "parenthesis" unknown to the Old Testament prophets.
	God has separated programs for the church and Israel.
	The church will ultimately lose influence in the world and become corrupted or apostate toward the end of the church age.
	Christ will return secretly to rapture his saints before the great tribulation.
	After the tribulation Christ will return to earth to administer a Jewish political kingdom based in Jerusalem for one thousand years.  Satan will be bound, and the temple will be rebuilt and the sacrificial system reinstituted.
	Near the end of the millennium.  Satan will be released and Christ will be attacked at Jerusalem.
	Christ will call down judgment from heaven and destroy his enemies.  The (second) resurrection and the judgment of the wicked will occur, initiating the eternal order. (pg 197)

The following are features of Historic Premillennialism:

	The New Testament era Church is the initial phase in Christ's kingdom, as prophesied by the Old Testament prophets.
	The New Testament Church may win occasional victories in history, but ultimately she will fail in her mission, lose influence, and become corrupted as worldwide evil increases toward the end of the Church Age.
	The Church will pass through a future, worldwide, unprecedented time of travail.  This era is known as the Great Tribulation, which will punctuate the end of contemporary history.
	Christ will return at the end of the Tribulation to rapture the Church, resurrect deceased saints and conduct the judgment of the righteous in the "twinkling of an eye."
	Christ will then descend to the earth with His glorified saints, fight the battle of Armageddon, bind Satan, and establish a worldwide, political kingdom, which will be personally administered by Him for 1,000 years from Jerusalem.
	At the end of the millennial reign, Satan will be loosed and a massive rebellion against the kingdom and a fierce assault against Christ and His saints will occur.
	God will intervene with fiery judgment to rescue Christ and the saints.  The resurrection and the judgment of the wicked will occur and the eternal order will begin. (pgs 199-200)

The following are features of Postmillennialism:

	The Messianic kingdom was founded on earth during the earthly ministry of Christ, in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy and making the New Testament church the transformed Israel..
	The kingdom is essentially redemptive and spiritual rather than political and physical.
	The kingdom will transform society and culture during history.
	The kingdom of Christ will gradually expand in time and on earth through Christ's royal power as King reigning in heaven not on earth.
	The Great Commission will succeed bringing about the virtual Christianization of the nations.
	At this point there are two types of postmillennialists. Pietistic postmillennialists deny that the postmillennial advance of the kingdom involves the total transformation of culture through the application of biblical law.  Theonomic postmillennialist affirm this.
	An extended period of great spiritual prosperity may endure for millennia, after when history will come to an end by the personal, visible, bodily return of Christ accompanied by a literal resurrection and a general judgment, which ushers in the final and eternal form of the kingdom. (pgs 200-201)

	Mostly in the first century, especially in the destruction of Jerusalem by the Romans in 70 A.D.
	The Second Coming view (Futurist view) - most Revelation refers to the last few years of history, maybe the last seven years, before the second coming of Christ.
	Church History view (Historist view) - they believe it forecasts the course of history up to the present so it sketches the history of Western Europe through the various popes, the Protestant Reformation, the French revolution and individual leaders such as Charlemagne and Mussolini.
	Spiritual Principles view (Idealist) - Revelation speaks of spiritual principles of the battle between God and Satan.

	All of the covenants established by God after the fall of man into sin are gracious, being elaborations upon God's promise of salvation.
	Sovereignly imposed
	Mutually binding
	Blessings for obedience
	Curses for disobedience or rebellion
	Called for trust and submission on the part of God's people
	Subsequent covenants are in harmony with and cannot conflict with the earlier ones, but can only complement and expand upon them.
	All the promises in God's covenant centered on Christ and his redemptive work, we recognize the unity and continuity of the covenantal administration of God.

	Innocence - Adam
	Conscience - between the fall and the flood
	Human government - Noah
	Promise - Abraham
	Law - Moses
	Grace - N.T. Church
	Kingdom - Millennial Reign of Christ

	The way God relates to humans is through covenant.
	There is only one way of salvation in both the Old Testament and the New Testament - by grace alone through faith alone. (Romans 4:22-25)
	There is only one people of God. (Romans 11:17-24)
	The people of God are always defined spiritually not by biological descent. (Romans 9:6-9)
	There is only one plan of God for his people, accomplished through Jesus Christ.
	It is wrong to teach that it is part of God's plan for His people to ever go back to the Old Covenant (Old Testament) way of doing things. (Hebrew 8:13, 10:18)
	It has always been a part of God's plan to offer the Gospel and salvation to the whole world. (Genesis 12:3; Exodus 18:5-6; Isaiah 42:6; Acts 13:46-48; 15:14-19; Galatians 3:8-9)
	As has always been the practice believers and their children must receive the sign of the covenant. (Colossians 2:11-12; Acts 16:33)