The Millennium
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
Broadly speaking, there are three general systems which profess to set forth the teaching of Scripture regarding the Second Coming of Christ and the future of God’s kingdom: postmillennialism, amillennialism, and premillennialism. Each holds that Scripture is the word of God and is authoritative. Each holds to the same concept of the death of Christ as the sacrifice to satisfy divine justice and the only ground for salvation. Each holds that there will be a future, visible, personal coming of Christ. Each affirms the resurrection of the body, the judgment seat of Christ, rewards for righteousness, and punishment for the wicked. The differences arise because of distinctive methods of interpretation of Scripture employed by each method.
This study on the millennium defines each system of belief as clearly as possible by exploring the writings of representative theologians, the principles of interpretation. Boettner also explains the various conceptions of the anti-Christ, the Great Tribulation, and the rapture. He also explains the history and beliefs of dispensationalism.
Top Highlights
“‘Amillennialism is that view of the last things which holds that the Bible does not predict a ‘Millennium’ or period of worldwide peace and righteousness on this earth before the end of the world. (Amillennialism teaches that there will be a parallel and contemporaneous development of good and evil—God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom—in this world, which will continue until the second coming of Christ. At the second coming of Christ the resurrection and judgment will take place, followed by the eternal order of things—the absolute, perfect Kingdom of God, in which there will be no sin, suffering nor death).’” (Page 4)
“‘Amillennialism teaches that there will be a parallel and contemporaneous development of good and evil—God’s kingdom and Satan’s kingdom—in this world, which will continue until the second coming of Christ. At the second coming of Christ the resurrection and judgment will take place, followed by the eternal order of things—the absolute, perfect Kingdom of God, in which there will be no sin, suffering nor death’ (Blue Banner Faith and Life, Jan.–March, 1951).” (Page 109)
“Probably the most influential books from the postmillennial viewpoint have been The Second Advent, by David Brown (1846, revised 1849), which for many years was recognized as the standard work on the subject, and Dr. Charles Hodge’s Systematic Theology (1871).” (Page 10)
“‘Amillennialism is that view of the Last Things which holds that the Bible does not predict a ‘Millennium’ or period of world-wide peace and righteousness on this earth before the end of the world.’” (Page 109)
Loraine Boettner was born in 1901 in Linden, Missouri. He studied agriculture at the University of Missouri, but graduated with a B.S. after transferring to Tarkio Presbyterian College. In 1925, Boettner began his studies at Princeton, where he was influenced by the writings of Charles Hodge. He graduated from Princeton Theological Seminary with a Th.B. in 1928 and a Th.M. in 1929. He later received an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree in 1933 and a Doctor of Literature degree in 1957. From 1935 to 1939, Boettner also worked at Christianity Today, and worked at the Library of Congress and for the Internal Revenue Service. He continued to write and publish theological works—his most popular The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination, based on his Th.M. thesis, and Roman Catholicism. He died on January 3, 1990.
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