Here is another book in the Zondervan Counterpoints series in which a forum is provided to present, discuss and critique different views on important aspects of Church Life and Theology. The matter of the Millennium underlies questions such as ‘are these the last days’? Could Jesus return at any time to establish His thousand-year reign on earth? What must happen before Jesus returns and what part does the church play? There are three predominant views on the subject held by evangelical Christians who seek to answer these questions and other related matters too. These are the pre-millennial view, the post-millennial and the a-millennial. Here are three hundred pages in which these three views are presented by advocates of each particular view, the whole is a rich source of thought provoking argument and consideration of the history of their views, some biblical justification and some interpretative analysis also. The whole is conducted in a spirit of mutual respect and the search for understanding. All hinges around the matter of whether the book of the Revelation chapter 20, the only explicit statement in the scripture referring to what appears to be a millennial reign of a thousand years by Jesus on this earth means what it says. Is there justification in this passage and the general tenor of scripture to suggest that there will be an intermediate kingdom of Christ on this earth before the end comes and the new heavens and the new earth are inaugurated after the final judgment? An excellent essay concludes the book written by Darrel L Bock the general series editor. Leaders of churches and ministers will all benefit from grappling themselves with the points raised. All who read with open hearts will see that the issues involved are more complex than simple statements made popular by writers such as Hal Lindsey and the writers of the ‘Left Behind” series of books allow. There is considerable space given to the matter of ‘pre-understanding’, a kinder synonym for prejudice. This is thought provoking in itself as each of us came to formulate our own views on this subject. It is far from easy to be agnostic on these matters. Students of scripture will find this book to be a fascinating read. Reasons why godly evangelical Christians differ on this subject and their views on the future will come to light. These essays also indicate how each millennial view impacts the way we see the task of God’s people in God’s plan, both present and future. Such matters are worthy of our most serious consideration.
