A Basic Guide to Eschatology

Making Sense of the Millennium

Millard J. Erickson

© 1977, 1998 by Millard J. Erickson

Published by Baker Books

a division of Baker Book House Company

P.O. Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

Originally published in 1977 under the title Contemporary Options in Eschatology: A Study of the Millennium

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Catalog Card Number: 77-89406

ISBN: 0-8010-5836-8

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To

my wife’s parents

Magnus and Ruth Nepstad

Contents

Preface

Introduction

Part 1 Background Views

1 Schweitzer and Dodd

2 Bultmann and Moltmann

Part 2 Millennial Views

3 Postmillennialism

4 Amillennialism

5 Premillennialism

Part 3 Tribulational Views

6 Dispensationalism

7 Pretribulationism

8 Posttribulationism

9 Mediating Positions

Conclusion

Bibliography

General Index

Scripture Index

Preface

The approach of the end of the twentieth century and the second Christian millennium has contributed to a growing interest in issues of eschatology. I am grateful to Baker Books and especially its Academic Books Editor, Jim Weaver, for bringing out this revised edition of an earlier work. The chapter on dispensationalism has been rewritten to reflect the changes in that movement, known as progressive dispensationalism.

The original volume grew out of a request by students at Bethel Theological Seminary for a course that would examine thoroughly and objectively the eschatological options extant in the circles in which they would one day minister. In preparing for that course, I realized that the need for such a study goes beyond the walls of our classroom.

I wish to thank all who have assisted in the production of this work. I am especially indebted to those students who first requested the course and whose questions and comments helped sharpen my thinking. My teaching assistant, Mrs. Ines E. Bowers, read the entire manuscript thoroughly and offered numerous suggestions, particularly regarding stylistic matters. Typing was done by Mrs. Nikki Daniels and Mrs. Aletta Whittaker. All imperfections in the manuscript are of course my responsibility alone.

Introduction

James Orr, lecturing at the end of the nineteenth century, observed that various areas of Christian doctrine had received special attention and development at different periods in the history of the church. Thus in the second century the church dealt especially with apologetics and the fundamental ideas of Christianity; in the third and fourth centuries, with the doctrine of God; in the early fifth century, with man and sin; in the fifth to seventh ...