Amillennialism...

Does anyone know any good book that explain the Amill position scripturally? and/or a book that discredits it scripturally? A friend and I have been talk about alot lately (he hold the Amill position) and I was just looking to understand it a bit better.

Thanks for your suggestions!

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steve clark

Have you tried searching your library?

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Handbook to Bible Study has quiet a bit of info
as does the Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary (under millennium).
tons of stuff under Grudem's Systematic Theology

Found 51 resources in my small library (Scholar's)

Graham Owen

Does anyone know any good book that explain the Amill position scripturally?

Hi John

Do you have:

Gregg, S. (1997). Revelation, four views : A parallel commentary. Nashville, Tenn.: T. Nelson Publishers.

Also this is covered in most of the systematic theologies in my library i,e, Ryrie, Moody Handbook, Geisler, etc.

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203223#Comment_203223

EDIT: I pressed "post" too soon.

John, there are a few resources in Logos which approach Revelation from an Amillenial standpoint. A couple introductory volume's I would recommend:

Revelation's Rhapsody-- This is on 50% sale right now. This is not specifically about the millenial reign, but Dr. Lowery has written this volume as a guide on how to approach Revelation, looking at things like Revelation's sources (OT imagery, for one), Structure, and Symbolism. This book will help you understand an approach that will lead to an Amillenial position (thought amillenialists don't like that term. "Realized Millenium" is another way they refer to the "current reign"). He has some helpful charts on structure and good illustrations on symbolism, and how they affect Revelation. Also a good bibliography (but one that is not at all purely amillenialist).

Michael Wilcock's Commentary in the BST series--I have been using this for my current series in Revelation. Wilcock is simple and clear in his presentation, and overall, I think "irenic" in his presentation. He really doesn't bash other views, even though he might reveal why he thinks another view (for instance, historicist or dispensationalist) might not represent (in his view) the Biblical text as fully as his position. When I looked at his section on the millenium he listed 3 or 4 of the major approaches along with what he thought was that approaches strength, and perhaps the motive that drives that approach. Overall, I thought he was balanced, albeit tilted in favor of his view. At least he didn't blast them for being unBiblical, etc, as I have seen others (from all traditions) do. I just picked up this nice little series during the Black Friday sale. Perhaps your friendly Logos person will give you a great deal on it as well.

Some of the amillenial authors with commentaries on Logos are: Leon Morris (Tyndale), Swete, Lowery, Wilcock, and Beale. The latter is recognized as the most thoroughly presented work for amillenialism. He can be found int he NIGTC series (Revelation) and the Commentary on the NT use of the OT.

Other works not in logos:

William Hendrickson's "More than Conquerors" commentary on Revealtion writeen in the 30's but seen as a standard work (brief, but a catalyst to many other thinkers)

Reversed Thunder, by Eugen Peterson. He is a master of metaphor and while strictly speaking is not a commentary, he goes through each section of Revelation to show how God has the "Last Word" on everything (scripture, worship, church, evil, politics, heaven, etc). His hermeneutic leads to amillenialism.

The Millennial Maze by Stanley Grenz (IVP). His contribution attempts to show the practical outworking in life and ministry of each view.

Other helpful books (and there are many) are in the "4/5 Views" type of sets (Meaning of the Millenium by Clouse and Clouse, eg) those are helpful to see how a proponent presents their view, and then how those opposed differ, and why (in the responses by the other contributors)

John Kight

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203227#Comment_203227

Thanks guys!

I have many books on it I just dont know where to start. Ive read a few systematic theology books (Grudem & Erickson) on the position but was just looking for some suggestions on what others are reading.

Dan,

We should meet up one of these days. I live in Howell, MI. Right down I-96. Thanks for the help!

Friedrich

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203229#Comment_203229

Thanks guys!

I have many books on it I just dont know where to start. Ive read a few systematic theology books (Grudem & Erickson) on the position but was just looking for some suggestions on what others are reading.

Dan,

We should meet up one of these days. I live in Howell, MI. Right down I-96. Thanks for the help!

John, yeah, I agree. I knew you were close by. In the very least, if you want, fb me on this. I am not an expert by any means, but I am working my way through it and discussion only helps me think through things. PS. Did you see my longer edit above? (i had pused "post" after only linking those two books, but had not added all the other thoughts and suggestions yet)

Rich DeRuiter

Does anyone know any good book that explain the Amill position scripturally? and/or a book that discredits it scripturally? A friend and I have been talk about alot lately (he hold the Amill position) and I was just looking to understand it a bit better.

Thanks for your suggestions!

The IVP Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (in The Essential IVP Reference Collection) defines Amillennialism this way:

amillennialism. The belief that the thousand years mentioned in Revelation 20 do not represent a specific period of time between Christ’s first and second comings. Many amillennialists believe instead that the millennium refers to the heavenly reign of Christ and the departed saints during the Church Age. Amillennialists usually understand Revelation 20 to mean that the return of Christ will occur at the end of history and that the church presently lives in the final era of history. (Stanley Grenz, David Guretzki and Cherith Fee Nordling, Pocket Dictionary of Theological Terms (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 8-9.)

As one who grew up and was trained as amillenialist, I would agree with this. The prefix "a" in amillenial should not be taken as "no, not" but as "in the process of" as in "ahunting we will go..." or in a state or condition of" as in "the house is aflame" or "we are aboard ship" (see COED and/or Webster for this use of the prefix "a" in English). Amillenialists do not deny the millenium. We believe we are now in the millenium, but that the time period (1000 years) should not be taken literally (cf. the number 1000 in Deut 7:9; Ps 50:10; Josh 23:10, etc.). A key difference between the pre-mil and a-mil views is that a-mils believe that when Christ comes again, final judgement and the new heaven/earth will happen immediately (with no intervening 1000 years).

Louis Berkhof gives an outline of the classic Reformed view in his Systematic Theology. See pp 708, ff, where he discusses other views from an amill perspective. [Note, I do not agree that "The Amillennial view is purely negative" (p. 708).] You may be especially interested in his section "Objections to Premillennialism" (p. 712), as he doesn't lay out a positive statement of amillennialism here.

Kistemaker lays out another Reformed statement of amillennialism in the Baker New Testament Commentary: Revelation. Look at p.44 for his discussion of premillennialism and the next page and following for his discussion of amillennialism, as well has his commentary on Rev 20.

Another good resource is Revelation: Four Views.

Well, that should be enough to get you started.

John Kight

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203232#Comment_203232

Dan, Wow! thanks for the info and time. Im going to go dig. If you dont mind I might message you on FB if I have any questions.

Thanks again Brother †

Donnie Hale

There should be a lot of Logos resources that cover the amillenialist position. It's the most widely-held view of those in the reformed and historic presbyterian traditions. If I do a search for "amillenial" in my library, I get 2,027 results in 707 articles in 307 resources. (I have most of the journals, which can skew those results).

Donnie

David J. Sugg

John,

While not available in Logos, "A Case For Amillennialism - Understanding the End Times" by Kim Riddlebarger is a very good explanation of the Amil position by one who holds it. Another explanation / defense is Anthony A. Hoekema's "The Bible and the Future."

Dave

Dan Sheppard

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/203519#Comment_203519

I offer a couple of recommendations.

For one, the Lutheran Study Bible, which addresses amill in the narrative comments on Revelation. http://www.logos.com/product/6398/the-lutheran-study-bible

The Concordia Commentary - Revelation offers a very thorough picture. http://www.logos.com/product/5870/concordia-commentary-revelation