Jack Van Deventer, “Amillennial History,” Credenda Agenda 14/2 (apparently no date): 34-35.On-line as http://credenda.org/issues/14-2eschaton.php

When looking at the Internet for information about Abraham Kuyper, I came across this very interesting article on the history of the term and concept of amillennial(ism): “Amillennial History,” by Jack Van Deventer, over at Credenda/Agenda (see here for the text and here for the notes).

The concept was not invented until the 20th century. “Having become convinced of history’s downward spiral, yet having rejected dispensationalism as unbiblical, presbyterian, and Reformed people were in need of their own theological rationale for pessimism.”

“The amillennial solution was to reassign the biblical victory passages to the heavenly or spiritual realm. The kingdom of God was allegorized, spiritualized, and explained away as other-worldly, another spiritual dimension, a land beyond time and beyond our grasp. The prophecies of doom and destruction, of course, were retained and applied to the earthly realm. In other words, keep the curses, discard the blessings. Although a younger doctrine than dispensationalism, amillennialism met the same need and fit the mood of the day.” Read it all.

Whether Van Deventer is right about the historical explanation or the underlying theological conceptions is another matter. What do you think?

Kuyper, Abraham. The Revelation of St. John. Trans. John Hendrik De Vries. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1935. Reprint. Eugene, Oregon: Wipf & Stock Publishers, 1999. 360 pp.

Abraham Kuyper was a very influential Calvinist theologian and statesman. He took both his undergraduate and doctoral degree in theology at Leyden. His commentary on Revelation guided many interpreters. He founded the Free (Reformed) University of Amsterdam in 1880.

“The Revelation of St. John, presented here in English garb, forms the greater part of the fourth and last volume of Dr. Kuyper’s work: ‘The consummation of the world.’”

According to Gregg, Four views, Kuyper was both futurist and amillennialist (towards the end of the chapter “The Millennium in Revelation” and, especially in the introduction to Revelation 20: “What Is the Meaning of the ’1,000 Years’? When Do These Events Occur”). Kuyper understands the rider on the white horse in Rev 6:1-2 as Christ. Gregg mentions Kuyper about 12 times.

Hoekema, Anthony A. The Bible and the Future. 1979. Reprint. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing, 1994. xi + 354 pp.

This is one of the classic works defending amillennialism (realised amillennialism).

The book is divided in two parts. The first part deals with Inaugurated Eschatology, the second part with Future Eschatology.

Some 20 pages describe the major millennial views, while about 30 pages critiques the dispensational amillennialism. Hoekema devotes 16 pages to the millennium of Revelation 20.

The back matters include an appendix on “Recent Trends in Eschatology” (pp. 288-316; written about 1979), a 6 page bibliography, a very detailed index of Subjects as well as indices of Proper Names and Scripture references. See more at Amazon.co.uk and Eerdmans.

Lewis, Arthur H. The Dark Side of the Millennium: The Problem of Evil in Revelation 20:1-10. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1980. 65 pp.

Dr. Arthur H. Lewis “proposes that the evil inherent in the conditions of Revelation 20:1-10 precludes its identity with the glorious kingdom of Christ which is to come. Through comparative studies in the Old Testament, the Gospels, and the Epistles, he demonstrates that the millennial scene best fits into this present age, spanning the time between the first and second comings of Christ.

“Labeling his view ‘historical millennialism,’ Dr. Lewis offers a fresh form of the older, orthodox position of amillennialism. Lewis’s view, however, remains distinctive in that he does not spiritualize away the basic features belonging to the thousand years of Revelation 20.

“Following a literal hermeneutic, this volume fills a present lack among evangelicals for materials to judge fairly the amillennial perspective long held by Orthodox churches and great theologians of the past, including Augustine.

“Though interpreters of Revelation 20 agree that the millennium will mix good and evil, saints and sinners, Dr. Lewis stands among just a few who seriously explore the implications of this fact.” (Quoted from the back cover).

Larry Wing has a very convenient page: “Eschatology Comparison.”

The page is broken down into two sections. Chart #1 lists the main distinctives of Dispensational Premillennialism and Historic Premillennialism. Chart #2 lists the main distinctives of Postmillennialism and Amillennialism.

Wing gives an overview of each eschatology and lists some leading proponents and works.

Wing’s page is based on For He Must Reign: An Introduction to Reformed Eschatology by Kim Riddlebarger. This series gives a good overview of the various positions with an excellent Biblical support for Amillennialism, Wing states. See also Riddlebarger, A Case for Amillennialism.