A Dictionary of All Religions and Religious Denominations/Joachimites

JOACHIMITES, a denomination which appeared about the commencement of the thirteenth century ; so called from Joachim, abbot of Sora, in Calabria. He foretold the destruction of the church of Rome, and the promulgation of a new and more perfect gospel, in the age of the Holy Ghost, by a number of poor and austere ministers, whom God was to raise up and employ for that purpose. For he divided the world into three ages, relative to the three dispensations of religion which were to succeed each other. The two imperfect ages, viz. the age of the old testament, which was that of the Father, and the age of the new, which was under the administration of the Son, were, according to his doctrine, now passed ; and the third age, even that of the Holy Ghost, was near at hand.