Chiliasm is the ancient term for premillennialism — the belief, drawn from Revelation 20, that Christ will return to reign physically on earth for a literal thousand years before the final judgment. The earliest church fathers — Papias (a disciple of John), Justin Martyr, Irenaeus, Tertullian, Hippolytus — were chiliasts. They understood Revelation 20 straightforwardly and expected Christ's personal reign on earth. Chiliasm fell into disrepute after Augustine popularized amillennialism in the 5th century, and the Western church largely moved away from it. But the core conviction has never disappeared: Christ will return, the dead will rise, and a golden age of righteousness will precede the final judgment. Modern dispensationalism and historic premillennialism both stand in the chiliast tradition. Whatever millennial view a Christian holds, all orthodox eschatology agrees on the core: "This same Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will so come in like manner as you saw Him go into heaven" (Acts 1:11).