Premillenarians is a popular designation of a class of theologians who understand "the first resurrection," spoken of in Re 20:5, as predicting a separate and literal revivification of the saints previous to the millennium, and their personal reign with Christ on earth during that period, in opposition to the usual or post-millenarian view, which explains it in a figurative and spiritual sense. Among the advocates of the premillennial scheme have been counted, with more or less reserve, such eminent names as those of Mede, Jurieu, Daibuz, Sir Isaac Newton, archbishop Newcome, bishops Newton, Horsley, and Heber, doctors Gill, Toplady, Bengel, Dorner, Nitzsch, Delitzsch, Van Oosterzee, Hofmann, Aubelen, Ebrard, Roothe, Lange, Christlieb, Luthardt, Gaussen, Godet, Trench, Ellicott, Ryle, Hoare, Tregelles, Elliott, Allord, Bickersteth, Bonar, Tyng, Lord, and many other learned and pious divines, especially among Protestants, while the great majority of scholars and writers of Christendom, in all ages and denominations, have been ranged on the opposite, or postmillennial side, of whom we need mention only, among moderns, Whitby, Faber, Brown, Barnes, Hengstenberg, Stuart, and Worsworth. The history of the Chiliastic doctrine, both Jewish and Christian, is well summarized in the
Speaker's Commentary, excursus at the end of Revelation 20. SEE RESURRECTION, THE FIRST.
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More