Definitions for "Premillennialism"
the view within Christianity that the Rapture of the Church will occur before the Millennium.
Premillennium is from the Latin [ pre] meaning before, [ mille] meaning thousand, and [ annum] meaning years. This is a doctrine very similar to the Messianic expectations of the first-century Judaizers in that it teaches that sometime in the future Christ will return to establish a literal political and earthly Kingdom in Jerusalem and will reign 1000 years on earth. Pre-millennial, meaning that Christ comes to establish this Kingdom pre or "before" the millennium. [ back
The belief that Jesus will return before the beginning of the Millennium and will be the impetus for the final battle between good and evil. It often includes apocalyptic expectation of Rapture, Tribulation, Antichrist, strong dualist tendencies, emphasis on preparation of self and missionizing.