chiliast

English

Etymology

From Latin chiliasta, possibly via French chiliaste, from Ancient Greek χιλιαστής (khiliastḗs), from χῑ́λιοι (khī́lioi, “thousand”) + -αστής (-astḗs, “-ast, -ist: forming agent nouns”). Equivalent to chilia- +‎ -ast.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkɪliəst/

Noun

chiliast (plural chiliasts)

1. (Christianity, typically derogatory) Synonym of millenarian: a person who believes the Second Coming of Jesus Christ will involve his physical rule on Earth for 1000 years. [1611]
   • 1611, William Sclater, A Key to the Key of Scripture..., page 324:

     ... Agreed on all sides, except the Chiliasts...

   • 1647, anonymous author, A Short History of the Anabaptists, page 52:

     All Anabaptists were and are still Chiliasts, expounding literally that Kingdome of a thousand years of Revel. xx. 6 to be a temporall Kingdome.

Coordinate terms

• chiliasm, chilianism, chiliastic, chiliastical

References

• “chiliast, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018.