amillennialism/historical premillennialism book recommendations?

Status
Not open for further replies.

thistle93

Puritan Board Freshman
Hi! As I read over Revelation and the other other books of the Bible I find myself somewhere between a hybrid blend of amillennialism and historical
premillennialism. Anyone else out there in the same boat or know any theologians/writers that would fall in this camp?

While I believe those who espouse dispensational premillennialism and postmillennialism can be true Christians, I have the greatest problem Biblically with these two views.

What attracts me most to amillennialism is also what makes me not fully embrace it. That is its use of typology,symbolic understanding & partial preterism. But in my opinion this can sometimes be taken too far by some amillennialists.

What attracts me most to historical premillennialism is that it takes certain parts of the Bible literal that I think amillennialism can tend to over spiritualize, without the pitfalls of dispensational premillennialism (literal temple, pre-trib rapture). But again there are other areas of historical premillennialism that I think are over literal.

This is my dilemma. But maybe God never intended for us to take a overly dogmatic stance on this area.

What are the best amillennialism books?

What are the best historical premillennialism books?

Thank you!

For His Glory-
Matthew Wilson
 
Hi! As I read over Revelation and the other other books of the Bible I find myself somewhere between a hybrid blend of amillennialism and historical
premillennialism. Anyone else out there in the same boat or know any theologians/writers that would fall in this camp?

While I believe those who espouse dispensational premillennialism and postmillennialism can be true Christians, I have the greatest problem Biblically with these two views.

What attracts me most to amillennialism is also what makes me not fully embrace it. That is its use of typology,symbolic understanding & partial preterism. But in my opinion this can sometimes be taken too far by some amillennialists.

What attracts me most to historical premillennialism is that it takes certain parts of the Bible literal that I think amillennialism can tend to over spiritualize, without the pitfalls of dispensational premillennialism (literal temple, pre-trib rapture). But again there are other areas of historical premillennialism that I think are over literal.

This is my dilemma. But maybe God never intended for us to take a overly dogmatic stance on this area.

What are the best amillennialism books?

What are the best historical premillennialism books?

Thank you!

For His Glory-
Matthew Wilson

Reverend Wilson,

A really good postmillennial commentary on Revelation is that of James Durham. James Durham's Commentary on Revelation.

Amazon.com: A commentary on Revelation (9781889058139): James Durham: Books
 
Hello Matthew, welcome to PB!

In the first post of this thread I list and quote from some of the best amil authors and their books: http://www.puritanboard.com/f46/thoughts-babylon-great-revelation-57260/.

In the third paragraph of that post is a link to a lecture by Greg Beale (who's written the most comprehensive commentary) on amil exegetical method, while explicating the "two witnesses" of Rev 11.

I've switched from premil to amil, as the premil view just didn't wash. But it took me a while to extricate myself from some of the literal exposition, and hold to the symbolic (not "spiritualizing") view.
 
Pastor Wilson,

Two books on historic premil are The Blessed Hope by the late George Ladd and the new A Case for Historic Premilleninialism edited by Blomberg and Chung. Since December of 2008 I tried to decide and blogged about this topic and read numerous books. At first two men were arguing on the blog and then they left me with the blog. Last spring, after all my search, Jay Adam's The Time Is At Hand convinced me. See this link. Millennial Dreams: Realized Millennialism He is amil, or calls himself a "realized preterist".

You will find that on a poll on Puritan Board, most people are amil for various reasons.

Cordially,
Carol Noren Johnson
 
Hi! As I read over Revelation and the other other books of the Bible I find myself somewhere between a hybrid blend of amillennialism and historical
premillennialism. Anyone else out there in the same boat or know any theologians/writers that would fall in this camp?

While I believe those who espouse dispensational premillennialism and postmillennialism can be true Christians, I have the greatest problem Biblically with these two views.

What attracts me most to amillennialism is also what makes me not fully embrace it. That is its use of typology,symbolic understanding & partial preterism. But in my opinion this can sometimes be taken too far by some amillennialists.

What attracts me most to historical premillennialism is that it takes certain parts of the Bible literal that I think amillennialism can tend to over spiritualize, without the pitfalls of dispensational premillennialism (literal temple, pre-trib rapture). But again there are other areas of historical premillennialism that I think are over literal.

This is my dilemma. But maybe God never intended for us to take a overly dogmatic stance on this area.

What are the best amillennialism books?

What are the best historical premillennialism books?

Thank you!

For His Glory-
Matthew Wilson

Matt,

I'm not sure I can add a lot of clarity to this topic generally.

It reminds me of Dr. Sproul being asked a conference by an attendee who said he could not tell whether he was amill, postmill, historic premill, or modern dispensational premill.

Dr. Sproul laughed, and said, "That's because there are strength and weaknesses to those views." Then he added, to the effect, "One thing of which I am certain, it's not the last one."

You will benefit from Mr. Riddlebarger's book, A Case for Amillennialism partly because he was formerly (modern dispensational) premillennial.
Westminster Bookstore - Reformed Books - Low Prices - Flat Fee UPS Shipping - Case for Amillennialism Riddlebarger, Kim 9780801064357

For a short time, I was attracted to the possibility of historic premill.

But the issue you run into is whether there is a separate return of our Lord, BEFORE he returns to judge the world.

I would have to say now, when Christ comes, every eye will see Him and He will come as judge the living and the dead, as part of one event, sometimes referred to as "the end of the world."

The other aspect is that the Kingdom of God while not fully completed (that happens at His return) is now. It's much of what Jesus taught, and what He brought, and inaugurated when He ascended to Heaven to rule and reign from there until His return.

There is much Scriptural evidence about the incredible miracles that the second coming will be, that it is the consummation of this age, and not the inauguration of 1,000 years on man's calendar of His "real" rule.

So where does that leave one in regard to these modern categories (remember "amillennialism" was not even a term historically)?

It seems there are well respected people who fashion themselves something of a hybrid- amill with an influence of postmill, and a desire for somehow working in premill, were that possible. (This is meant almost humorously, but hopefully helps illustrates how difficult these categories can be).

It's also been helpful to understand that what is called "amillennialism" in this generation means more, "realized millennium" that is, that Christ's spiritual rule from Heaven is now.
 
Hey,

I have two resources that I have been very pleased with. One is Wm Hendrikson's commentary on Revelation titled "More Than Conquerors." It was the standard text for Revelation when I was a student at Reformed Theological Seminary in Jackson. Excellent book.

The other resource is a friend of mine, Fr. Charlie Carlberg of All Saints Anglican Church in Greenville, SC. While he's unknown, his work is groundbreaking. Before deciding to become a church planter, Charlie was working on a proposal for a Ph.D. in theology for Vern Poythress of Westminster Seminary in PA. the NT and Theology staff at RTS were amazed at his conclusions and when he went to PA to meet w/ Dr. Poythress he apparently so impressed the good doctor that he told my friend that he simply had to come and develop it as a doctoral student at Westminster.

If you're interested, his website is: Leadership - All Saints' Church.

Basically, his thesis is that Revelation is intended by John to be the NT equivalent of Deuteronomy. Here's the summary: Moses had 4 books of history describing the formation of the people of God, followed by a Covenant reaffirmation and sending out to conquer the Land in Deuteronomy. This then is followed by Joshua, which describes the initial conquest of the Land, then the Historical Books which continue the story. After this are the Prophets & Writings, which give the theological meaning of what has been happening, based upon timely application of the Word to God's people in situ as they go about their task.

In a parallel fashion, he posits that The Lord has given us the 4 Gospels which describe the re-formation of God's people in the NT era, with Christ as "the Prophet greater than Moses." After this should be placed (theologically) John's Book of Revelation. Revelation, then, is the summary and reaffirmation of the Covenant, revealing (as does Deuteronomy) what God's people will face as they "go forth conquering and to conquer." Now, the Land is the whole Earth, and God has sent His people out to subdue the nations with the Gospel. Revelation, as the New Deuteronomy, sets the stage for Acts, which stands in parallel to the Historical Books of the OT, and the Epistles are similarly the parallel to the Prophets & Writings. The one (Acts) describes the beginning of the conquest of the Earth by Christ (starting in Jerusalem and extending to Rome & the ends of the earth), while the Epistles are timely applications of the Gospel to God's people as they seek to be faithful to the Great Commandment in the (figurative) Millennium between the Resurrection/Ascension and the Second Coming (which will occur when the work of world evangelisation is complete).

He has a set of CDs, accompanying notes, and a draft of a book (tentatively called "Covenant, or Roundhouse, Hermeneutics").

I would heartily recommend that everyone contact him for his materials. It has revolutionized my views on Revelation, comes with the imprimantur of the NT faculty at RTS Jackson, and is a must-read.

If you write or call, just tell him his friend Austin referred you. (I get no royalties :), it's just that he will wonder how people knew to contact him.)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top