What does chiliasm mean?
Chiliasm is the belief that Christ will return to rule over a literal thousand-year kingdom on earth before the final judgment. The word derives from the Greek khilioi, meaning 'thousand,' and is closely related to millenarianism and millennialism, which are now the more common terms. In early Christianity, chiliasm was a significant current of thought, drawing on imagery from the Book of Revelation, but it was later rejected or downplayed by many major church traditions in favor of more symbolic readings of the millennium. Beyond theology, historians use the term to describe utopian movements — religious or political — that anticipate an imminent age of perfect peace and justice. Because it is a specialized term, chiliasm appears chiefly in academic writing on eschatology, apocalypticism, and the history of radical movements rather than in everyday conversation.
nounThe belief that Christ will return to earth and reign for a thousand years before the final judgment; more broadly, any expectation of a coming earthly millennium or golden age.
- Belief in Christ's literal thousand-year reign on earth before the Last Judgment, especially as held in some early Christian traditions
- By extension, any utopian expectation of an imminent earthly age of peace and happiness
"The sect's chiliasm led its followers to sell their possessions in anticipation of the imminent thousand-year reign."
"Early church writers debated whether chiliasm was orthodox teaching or an over-literal reading of Revelation."
"Political theorists have traced the roots of revolutionary fervor to a secularized chiliasm promising heaven on earth."
Rarely pluralized, since the doctrine is usually discussed as a single body of belief; the plural appears only when contrasting distinct historical versions of the doctrine.
"Medieval and Reformation-era chiliasms differed sharply in their expectations of the millennium."
Chiliasm comes from the same Greek root as 'kilogram' — both trace back to 'khilioi,' meaning a thousand — making it literally the doctrine of the thousand.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of chiliasm
Chiliasm comes from the Greek khilioi, meaning 'a thousand,' via terms such as khiliasmos referring to the thousand-year reign described in Revelation 20. It entered English usage in the early modern period, when scholars debated the millenarian teachings of early Christians. The word shares its root with chiliad (a group or period of one thousand) and with the metric prefix kilo-, all tracing back to the same Greek numeral.
Related word forms
How chiliasm is actually used
Chiliasm is a formal, scholarly word found mainly in theology, church history, and discussions of apocalyptic movements. It carries no strong connotation by itself, though it is sometimes used pejoratively to suggest naive or dangerous utopianism. The adjective is chiliastic, and adherents may be called chiliasts.
Easily confused with chiliasm
Millennialism is the broader modern term for belief in a coming golden age or thousand-year reign, while chiliasm is the older, more technical term rooted in Greek and often used specifically for early Christian doctrines of Christ's literal earthly reign.
A chilblain is a painful swelling on skin exposed to cold, entirely unrelated to the religious doctrine of chiliasm despite the shared 'chil-' spelling.