Millenarianism, in its historical form, where Christ is said to return and reign over the world, like an earthly king, during a time of rejoicing and indulgences, for a thousand years. That is a condemned heresy, and is obviously false. But the heart of the error is not the 1000 years. The same claim but with a different length of time would still be heretical. The error is Christ reigning as king over earthy, when He is above such a position as King of kings and Lord of lords, and especially in that He reigns in Heaven.

So mitigated millenarianism is also a heresy. In this version, Christ returns to reign over the earth during a time of holiness and spiritual blessings. Again, the length of time, 1000 years is not crucial. The main error is that Christ is reigning as an earthly king; and this remains an error even if it is a holy, spiritual reign on earth.

After the general Resurrection, God makes a new heaven and a new earth, and then we do not know what the relationship will be between heaven and earth, nor how the resurrected Just will be on earth and/or in heaven.

My Speculative Position

In my fallible speculative eschatology, I believe that there will be a tribulation, that is, the End Times. And this tribulation is divided into the lesser and greater tribulation (also called the first and second parts of the tribulation). Then between the two parts, there will be a few hundred years. That inter-tribulation period begins with the 25 years of peace and holiness described in the secrets of La Salette, and then the world gradually becomes more and more sinful.

After a long time, the reign of the Antichrist occurs, and after his downfall, Jesus the true Christ returns to earth. What happens next is my opinion, similar to what is held by Fr. Gobbi of the Marian Movement of Priests, Fr. Albert of the MMP also, Fr. Joseph Iannuzzi, and Justin Martyr. There are small differences between their views and mine, though.

When Jesus returns, there are many conversions throughout the world. He teaches the Church and the Church rebuilds, now that the terrible sufferings of the Antichrist’s reign will be over. Then Christ returns to Heaven in a second Ascension. The next period of time is that described in Isaiah:

{65:18} But you will be glad and exult, even forever, in these things that I create. For behold, I create Jerusalem as an exultation, and its people as a joy.
{65:19} And I will exult in Jerusalem, and I will rejoice in my people. And neither a voice of weeping, nor a voice of outcry, will be heard in her anymore.
{65:20} There will no longer be an infant of only a few days there, nor an elder who does not complete his days. For a mere child dies at a hundred years of age, and a sinner of a hundred years will be accursed.
{65:21} And they will build houses, and will inhabit them. And they will plant vineyards, and will eat their fruits.
{65:22} They will not build, so that another may inhabit. They will not plant, so that another may eat. For according to the days of a tree, so will be the days of my people. And the works of their hands will be long-standing.
{65:23} My elect will not labor in vain, and they will not bring forth in disorder. For they are the offspring of the blessed of the Lord, and their posterity are with them.
{65:24} And this shall be: before they call out, I will perceive; while they are still speaking, I will hear.
{65:25} The wolf and the lamb will pasture together. The lion and the ox will eat hay. And dust will be the food of the serpent. They will not harm, and they will not kill, on all my holy mountain, says the Lord.

During this period of time, Jesus is in Heaven. He does not reign on earth. There is still sin, even mortal sin, on earth. But the world is no longer run by secular nations who reject Christianity. Instead, the leaders of the nations will all be Catholic, and they will follow the guidance and teachings of the Church. Almost the whole world will be Catholic Christian. There will be great success in teaching the Gospel. In that time, the reign of sin will not have completed ended, but sin will be greatly reduced, and the Gospel will be almost universally believed.

Then after more than 1200 years, the Lord Jesus returns a second time for the general Resurrection.

This period of time between the first and second returns of Jesus is a minority theological opinion. I stand by that position as an opinion subject to the teaching and final decision of the Magisterium. But currently, this is an open question. It is wrong to represent the majority theological opinion as dogma or even doctrine.

IN some other versions of this position, the first return of Jesus is not a complete return to earth, but he appears in the sky, and he gives blessings to the world or some other type of intervention to end the tribulation, and then afterward, as in my view also, the Church reigns over the world, not Christ in person. This is the Eucharistic reign of Christ — for He is present in the Eucharist, not yet in person as at the general Resurrection.

I have in the past been accused of millenarianism for this view. It is not the same as that heresy. Christ does not reign as an earthly king, neither in an earthly manner (of rejoicing in earthly things), nor in a spiritual manner. Christ does not wish to reign as King over the world, as least not until after the general Resurrection (perhaps). He is King of kings, but only in His reign through the Church and through our hearts. And that is so that His kingdom will not be forced on anyone, as when a king conquers another nation, but will be accepted freely in one’s soul.

Ronald L Conte Jr