Blaising Craig A. - Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond

It is my pleasure to welcome the reader to what I believe is an unprecedented study of the issue of eschatology as it addresses our future. I know of no other recent work where proponents of the three major millennial schools are brought together for an interactive presentation of their views in an irenic environment.

Eschatology is the study of the last things. For some that means future things only, but all of these authors note that we already live in an era of initial fulfillment of promises concerning the Messiah Jesus. We are in a world where eschatology is now at work.

This book picks up the eschatological discussion by treating the question of the Millennium and beyond. This question concerns whether or not there is a future intermediate earthly kingdom of a literal thousand years over which Christ will rule before the new heavens and new earth are established. It is also called chiliasm. Those who argue that Christ comes again before such a kingdom are called premillennialists. Those who argue that the present church age represents that intermediate kingdom come in two types. Postmillennialists see the church as moving toward the complete fulfillment of kingdom promise, which gradually moves to victory until Christ appears. Amillennialists argue that there is no future literal Millennium, but when Christ returns we are ushered immediately into a new heaven and new earth. Nevertheless, postmillennialists are not the same as amillennialists. Postmillennialists see the church as marching gradually but most certainly to victory in the present age, while amillennialists see the church as delivered from the pressures and persecutions of a fallen world when Jesus returns.

All of these views have various subcategories, as our contributors will note, but their basic responsibility is to trace the hermeneutical, theological, and exegetical rationale for their millennial view. Each has also been asked to provide a brief history of his view.

Since the focal point of this book is the issue of the Millennium and beyond, certain questions often given prominence in books on end-time eschatology are not prominent here. Issues like the Rapture and Tribulation receive attention only as they relate to the discussion of the Millennium. Other works in Zondervans Counterpoints series, such as those on the Rapture and the book of Revelation, treat such questions in more detail.

I promise you, as a student of Scripture, a fascinating read. The discussion shows how and why evangelical Christians differ on questions about the future. The essays also indicate how each millennial view impacts how one sees the task and destiny of Gods people in Gods plan, both present and future. The side-by-side presentation of views allows you to assess the case for each option.

Each contributor presents an essay surveying the rationale for his particular view. The premillennial essay is a little longer than the other two because of its treatment of history. To redress the balance the responses of the other two views were allowed to be a little longer so that these contributors could comment on both the history and the textual discussion. Each essay is followed by short responses to raise questions and issues the main essay raised. It is here that the reader will see the differences in readings and views articulated most directly. As becomes clear, key issues include the reading of texts like Revelation 20 and Romans 11, the role of the destruction of the temple in early Christian thinking, the relationship of Old Testament texts to those in the New Testament, and how the book of Revelation should be read both with respect to its message and in terms of the canon.

I conclude the book with an essay summarizing the issues involved in thinking about the Millennium and beyond. I will not try to resolve the debate within my concluding essay, but will articulate the hermeneutical, theological, and exegetical issues at the center of the discussion of this topic and the disagreements that arise from it. Each view must face these issues as it attempts to determine what Scripture teaches about this topic. You deserve to know that I am a premillennialist, but I have attempted to write the final essay as a reflective student of the topic, trying to help other students of the Bible navigate their way through the complex terrain of the debates surrounding futuristic eschatology.

My thanks goes to our three contributors for faithfully carrying out their assignments. I have enjoyed working through the essays and considering the case for each view in this side-by-side format. I have learned much about each view and why some hold to each position. I hope you will have the same experience, as well as receive the resources to search the Scriptures to see which of these views best reflects Gods Word.

DARRELL L. BOCK
FEBRUARY 28, 1998