Andy Naselli

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The Millennial Maze: A Panel on the Millennium

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I recently moderated a panel on the millennium:

The title of the panel is “The Millennial Maze,” which misled many people at the conference to assume the panel would be about millennials!

The panel was part of the Bethlehem College & Seminary Conference for Pastors + Church Leaders and took place on February 4, 2020.

Here’s how I introduce the three panelists:

  1. Dr. Rob Green is Pastor of Counseling and Seminary Ministries for Faith Church in Lafayette, IN. Rob’s responsibilities include overseeing Faith Biblical Counseling Ministry, chairing the MA in Biblical Counseling program, and teaching New Testament at Faith Bible Seminary. He has written two books that start with the word tying: Tying the Knot: A Premarital Guide to a Strong and Lasting Marriage and (with his wife) Tying Their Shoes: A Christ-Centered Approach to Preparing for Parenting. Rob and his wife, Stephanie, have three children. Rob represents the premillennial view.
  2. Dr. Owen Strachan is associate professor of Christian theology at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He teaches the full range of courses in theology at the MDiv and PhD levels and serves as director of the Center for Public Theology and director of the Residency PhD program. Strachan has published over fifteen books, most recently Reenchanting Humanity: A Theology of Mankind. Owen and his wife, Bethany, have three children. Owen represents the amillennial view.
  3. Dr. Joe Rigney serves as assistant professor of theology and literature at Bethlehem College & Seminary, where he teaches Bible, theology, philosophy, and history—especially C. S. Lewis and Jonathan Edwards. He is the author of several books, including Lewis on the Christian Life, and he is one of the pastors of Cities Church. Joe and his wife, Jenny, have three sons. Joe represents the postmillennial view.

Theologians refer to the thousand-year period in Revelation 20 as the millennium. Here are the three basic positions on the millennium:

  1. Premillennialism: The millennium is the long period (perhaps a literal 1,000 years) when King Jesus will rule on earth. Jesus will return before the millennium (hence premillennialism).
  2. Amillennialism (or inaugurated or realized millennialism): The millennium began when Jesus rose from the dead and will conclude when he returns to earth. Believers who die during this period reign with King Jesus in heaven. When Jesus died and rose again, he decisively defeated Satan and “bound him” (Rev 20:2–3; cf. Matt 12:28–29; John 12:31–32). At the end of this age, Satan will furiously attempt to attack God’s people one last time (Rev 20:7–10).
  3. Postmillennialism: The millennium is a Christian golden age on earth. The reign of Christ from heaven will lead the church to triumph through the gospel with the result that Christianity will pervade the cultures of all the nations. Jesus will return after the millennium (hence postmillennialism).

The panel has two main objectives:

  1. Consider strengths and weaknesses for each position.
  2. Consider practical implications. For example, how important is one’s position on the millennium compared to other Bible doctrines? Consequently, how should Christians disagree about it?

I think it’s an edifying conversation.

The tone is remarkably less intense and combative than “An Evening of Eschatology” (September 27, 2009), which is also worth watching:

John Piper led that round-table discussion at Bethlehem Baptist Church’s downtown campus. Jim Hamilton represents the premillennial view, Sam Storms the amillennial view, and Doug Wilson the postmillennial view.

In our panel, I recommend these two books:

  1. Gavin Ortlund, Finding the Right Hills to Die On: The Case for Theological Triage (Wheaton, IL: Crossway, April 2020).
  2. Eckhard Schnabel, 40 Questions about the End Times, 40 Questions (Grand Rapids: Kregel, 2011). I highlight Schnabel’s “6 (Non-Controversial) Ways Christians Should Deal with Disagreements about the End Times.”

Here are some other resources on the millennium:

  1. Beale, G. K. “An Amillennial Response to a Premillennial View of Isaiah 65:20.” JETS 61 (2018): 461–92.
  2. ———. “The Millennium in Revelation 20:1–10: An Amillennial Perspective.” CTR 11:1 (2013): 29–62.
  3. Blaising, Craig A. “Premillennialism: A Progressive Dispensational View.” CTR 11:1 (2013): 63–70.
  4. Blomberg, Craig L. “Why I Am a Historic Premillennialist.” CTR 11:1 (2013): 71–87.
  5. Bock, Darrell L., ed. Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond. Counterpoints. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1999.
  6. Clouse, Robert G., ed. The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1977.
  7. Dawson, Samuel Allen. “The Millennium: An Examination and Analysis of the Methodologies and Strategies of the Various Positions on the Millennial Issue.” PhD diss., Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, 1998.
  8. Gentry, Kenneth L., Jr. He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology. Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1992; 3rd ed., 2009. Douglas Wilson says, “This is the most thorough introductory treatment of the eschatological issues available” (Heaven Misplaced: Christ’s Kingdom on Earth [Moscow, ID: Canon, 2008], 136).
  9. ———. “The Postmillennial Vision of Christian Eschatology.” CTR 11:1 (2013): 89–101.
  10. Grenz, Stanley J. The Millennial Maze: Sorting Out Evangelical Options. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992.
  11. Grisanti, Michael A. “Premillennialism and the Old Testament.” MSJ 29 (2018): 157–76.
  12. Harris, Gregory H. “Premillennialism in the New Testament: Five Biblically Doctrinal Truths.” MSJ 29 (2018): 177–205.
  13. House, H. Wayne. “Traditional Dispensationalism and the Millennium.” CTR 11:1 (2013): 3–27.
  14. Klassen, Brad. “Premillennialism and Hermeneutics.” MSJ 29 (2018): 127–55.
  15. Linne, Shai. “The Millennium.” Track 11 on Lyrical Theology: Part One. 2013. (Lyrics to this rap that defends amillennialism.)
  16. MacArthur, John. “Why Every Self-Respecting Calvinist Must Be a Premillennialist.” Pages 179–99, 220–21 in The Shepherd as Theologian: Accurately Interpreting and Applying God’s Word. Edited by John Macarthur. Eugene, OR: Harvest House, 2017.
  17. MacArthur, John, and Richard Mayhue, eds. Christ’s Prophetic Plans: A Futuristic Premillennial Primer. Chicago: Moody, 2012.
  18. Mathewson, Dave L. “A Re-Examination of the Millennium in Rev 20:1–6: Consummation and Recapitulation.” JETS 44 (2001): 237–51.
  19. Mathison, Keith A. Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 1999. Douglas Wilson says, “This is the best introductory treatment of the basic eschatological issues available” (Heaven Misplaced: Christ’s Kingdom on Earth [Moscow, ID: Canon, 2008], 136).
  20. Mathison, Keith A., ed. When Shall These Things Be? A Reformed Response to Hyper-Preterism. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2004.
  21. McCune, Rolland D. “An Investigation and Criticism of ‘Historic’ Premillennialism from the Viewpoint of Dispensationalism.” ThD diss., Central Baptist Theological Seminary, 1972.
  22. Naselli, Andrew David. “Mark Dever on the Function of Statements of Faith.” Thoughts on Theology, 24 July 2009.
  23. ———. “Should Churches Require All Members to Affirm Pretrib and Premil Views?” Thoughts on Theology, 30 April 2013.
  24. ———. “Ten Books Schnabel Recommends on the End Times.” Thoughts on Theology, 9 May 2012.
  25. Osborne, Grant R. “The Thousand-Year Reign of Christ and Final Destruction of Satan (20:1–10).” Pages 696–718 in Revelation. BECNT. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2002.
  26. Piper, John, ed. “Death, Resurrection, and the Coming of the Lord,” in Bethlehem Baptist Church’s Elder Affirmation of Faith.
  27. Poythress, Vern Sheridan. “2 Thessalonians 1 Supports Amillennialism.” JETS 37 (1994): 529–38.
  28. ———. “Genre and Hermeneutics in Rev 20:1–6.” JETS 36 (1993): 41–54.
  29. Riddlebarger, Kim. A Case for Amillennialism: Understanding the End Times. 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 2013.
  30. Robinson, Jeff. “Is Your Confession of Faith Too Narrow? 3 Questions.” The Gospel Coalition, 14 August 2019.
  31. Sailhamer, John H. “The Hermeneutics of Premillennialism.” Faith and Mission 18:1 (2000): 96–107.
  32. Stallard, Mike. “The Post-Trib and Amillennial Use of 2 Thessalonians 1.” Journal of Ministry and Theology 6:2 (2002): 60–80.
  33. Storms, Sam. Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative. Fearn, Scotland: Mentor, 2013.
  34. Talbert, Layton MacDonald. “The Theonomic Postmillennialism of Christian Reconstruction: A Contrast with Traditional Postmillennialism and a Premillennial Assessment.” PhD diss., Bob Jones University, 1992.
  35. Vlach, Michael J. “The Kingdom of God and the Millennium.” MSJ 23 (2012): 225–54.
  36. ———. Premillennialism: Why There Must Be a Future Earthly Kingdom of Jesus. Los Angeles: Theological Studies, 2015.
  37. ———. “Premillennialism and the Kingdom: A Rationale for a Future Earthly Kingdom.” MSJ 29 (2018): 207–32.
  38. Waymeyer, Matt. Amillennialism and the Age to Come: A Premillennial Critique of the Two-Age Model. The Woodlands, TX: Kress Biblical Resources, 2016.
  39. ———. “The Binding of Satan in Revelation 20.” MSJ 26:1 (2015): 19–46.
  40. ———. “The First Resurrection in Revelation 20.” MSJ 27 (2016): 3–32.
  41. Wilson, Douglas. Heaven Misplaced: Christ’s Kingdom on Earth. Moscow, ID: Canon, 2008.
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