Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

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Sean
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Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by Sean » Thu Oct 17, 2013 12:44 pm

I recently read this book (It just came out this year) and it is well put together. The author, Sam Storms, is Amillennial. He has written this book to explain and defend his view. He also includes the other mainstream views (premillennialism & postmillennialism) defines them, and points out weaknesses in each of them. Included in this is an introduction to and definition of dispensationalism. This is helpful for those just learning eschatology or for someone who is well versed in one view but is unsure of exactly what another view may be.

Sam Storms does a good job of plowing through the many misconceptions of the Amillennial position. He also covers Daniel 9, Matthew 24, 1 Corinthians 15, Romans 11, Revelation 20, 2 Thessalonians 2. There are many times when he gives multiple explanations of a passage (such as Matthew 24) which I like, but he didn't do this with Daniel 9. Since I disagree with his view of Daniel 9, and he didn't mention other alternate views of this passage (except the dispensational view) I would say that for me, this was the only real weak spot in the book. In several other instances he covers multiple interpretations, but in Daniel 9 it seems his view is the only one that makes it in the book.

He also discusses the hermeneutics of eschatology & the relationship between the church and Israel, the people of God and "replacement theology".

At the end he writes a summary chapter highlighting 30 reasons why he finds Amillennialism "the most cogent biblical account of the purpose of God in redemptive history".

It's a great work and at almost 600 pages it covers a lot of ground. I highly recommend it, especially to give to someone who is only familiar with the dispensational premillennial view.
Last edited by Sean on Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:36 am, edited 3 times in total.
He will not fail nor be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth. (Isaiah 42:4)

dwilkins
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by dwilkins » Thu Oct 17, 2013 1:30 pm

I'd be interested to hear his take on the first resurrection of Rev. 20:4-6. Do you remember any details of his description of it?

Doug

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Sean
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by Sean » Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:33 am

Basically, He believes that:
Revelation 2:10-11 & 3:21 closely parallel 20:1-6
The word "thrones" used in Rev 20:4 is consistently used throughout the new testament to refer to heavenly thrones, not earthly ones.
The binding of Satan is to allow the gospel to go forth to the Gentiles and to prevent unsaved nations from gathering to the final battle seen at the end of Revelation 20.
The first resurrection is not regeneration but rather martyred saints who remain faithful to Jesus are "raised to life" in the intermediate state as disembodied souls where they reign with Christ for the church age (portrayed as 1,000 years)
At the end Satan will be released to gather the unsaved nations against Christ and His Church where they will be defeated (Rev 20:7-10)

His view of the book of Revelation is that of progressive parallelism.
Last edited by Sean on Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:38 am, edited 1 time in total.
He will not fail nor be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth. (Isaiah 42:4)

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Sean
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by Sean » Fri Oct 18, 2013 9:37 am

I also edited my first post, I added more detail. :)
He will not fail nor be discouraged till He has established justice in the earth. (Isaiah 42:4)

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Mitzi
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by Mitzi » Tue Nov 26, 2013 2:29 am

I realize this is an old post but I've been wondering if anyone on these boards thinks we may be in the loosing of satan now? And that the nwo forming may be the gog/magog final war at which time Christ will return? I heard Steve say in one of his lectures that there was a baptist preacher, Haas, I think his name was, that believed satan was loosed sometime during the 19th century. I would like to read discussion on this possibility. Also, is this topic presented and dealt with in this book you've recommended. I will most likely buy it.

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steve
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by steve » Tue Nov 26, 2013 9:15 am

Hi Mitzi,

I am just reading a book published by a famous journalist, John L. Allen, Jr,, which just came out this year. It is interestingly called "The Global War on Christians." It is a documentation of religious persecution of Christians worldwide, giving case studies and statistical information showing that, for example:

-- 80% of religious discrimination worldwide is against Christians;

--"...estimates of the annual casualties in this global war range from a high of 100,000 to a low of 7,300. Even if we take the low-end number, it would work out to 146,000 new Christian martyrs over the past twenty years. If the higher end estimates turn out to be closer to the truth, then we're talking about 2 million." (p.25)

--"Paul Marshall concluded in 1997 that there were two hundred million Christians at that time suffering 'massacre, rape, torture, slavery, beatings, mutilations, and imprisonment,' as well as 'pervasive patterns of extortion, harassment, family division, and crippling discrimination in employment and education.'" (p.37)

--"Two of the world's leading demographers of religion, David B. Barrett and Todd Johnson, have performed an exhaustive statistical analysis of Christian martyrdom, reaching the conclusion that there have been seventy million martyrs since the time of Christ. Of that total, fully half, or forty-five million, went to their deaths in the twentieth century, most of them falling victim to either Communism or National Socialism. More Christians were killed because of their faith in the twentieth century than in all previous centuries combined." (pp.32f)

--"The National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism (known by the acronym START) was established in 2005 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and is based at the University of Maryland...In 2003, the consortium found, Christians were explicitly attacked by terrorists in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East eleven times, while in 2010 Christians faced forty-five such assaults. As the START analysis points out, that represents a fairly stunning growth rate of 309 percent in just seven years." (p.36)

The book says little about increased persecution of Christians in the West, but anyone paying attention would have to agree that, in the past 50 years, Christians have exchanged their "most respected religious group" status for the "most despised and discriminated against group" status in this sector of the globe.

Things are getting very similar to what I have envisaged as the scenario described in Revelation 20:7-8. However, I do not say this must be that time. There have been worse times in history by other measures, and it could get far worse in some future time, for all we know.

dwilkins
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by dwilkins » Tue Nov 26, 2013 1:28 pm

Though I have no doubt that the points Steve made are true and that Christianity has become demonized lately, it's worth keeping in mind that the world population went from under 1 billion to 7 billion in the last 150 years, and that about half of the people who have ever lived are alive right now. This would tend to skew such analysis.

However, if this is the time of loosing then it would match J. S. Russell and Duncan McKenzie's thesis of Premillennial Preterism precisely. Duncan describes his position in two volumes called "The Antichrist and the Second Coming". His position is essentially Amillennial, so that since 70AD we have been in the millennial period. He speculates that it's possible that the events of the last few decades (possibly including the 1948 founding of the modern state of Israel) might be describing the end of that period. Since he sees the final prophetic event as the Gog/Magog war of Rev. 20, a war against the state of Israel would fit that prophecy.

Amillennialism has always been a bit soft on explaining what the end of the millennium is supposed to look like. If they are preterists, they connect events like the Tribulation with the Roman attack against Jerusalem in 66-70AD. Then, they have the Rev. 20 end of the millennium material left over, which would also be the time of the 2nd Coming (sort of like Duncan does, though Duncan would attribute the 2nd Coming to 70AD as well). If they are idealists, they connect events like the Tribulation to repetitive examples all through Christian history. That allows them to have the Tribulation as a future event in a sense. Either way, Amillennialists talk much more about the conditions of the millennium than how it's supposed to wrap up. I think this is a critical weakness in their system, since the connection of the events in Rev. 20 to other prophecies (especially in Daniel) makes their position incoherent.

Doug

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Mitzi
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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by Mitzi » Wed Nov 27, 2013 7:47 am

Thank you both for your replies. It occurred to me the other day that the loosing of satan happens in the minds and lives of people. When Jesus was casting out demons and the pharisees accused Him of having a demon he referred to their lord as beelzebub, the lord of the flies. The swarm of lies and confusion caused by the enemy is a mental assault and war against the soul. We see demonization escalating worldwide, blasphemies, depravity, cruelty, hatred, every evil work. It's utter denial to not affirm that this activity is demonic. matt 12:24 "But when the Pharisees heard it, they said, This fellow doth not cast out devils, but by Beelzebub the prince of the devils.25 And Jesus knew their thoughts, and said unto them, Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to desolation; and every city or house divided against itself shall not stand:26 And if Satan cast out Satan, he is divided against himself; how shall then his kingdom stand?27 And if I by Beelzebub cast out devils, by whom do your children cast them out? therefore they shall be your judges.28 But if I cast out devils by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of God is come unto you."

We can see with our eyes what is happening. How can those who claim satan is not active account for such activity? If they don't believe there are demonized people, perhaps they should take a tour of a maximum security prison, which I had the opportunity to do. If I ever doubted there were demonized people I doubted it no longer after that little experience. So just simply by witnessing the reality of what is happening in the world it's almost ridiculous to deny that this is the loosing of satan. Maybe he was bound in the sense that he couldn't do much during the Church age but in the very end, must be loosed for a little while to gather them to battle? It just seems to fit to me and I don't know how far he'll be allowed to persecute the church now, but I truly believe when they're about ready to destroy the Church (Jerusalem) that Jesus will return and destroy them on the last day. I think I 'm saying I think Rev 20 is now and when Christ returns it's over, over, over! I don't see in Rev. 20 that the Church will be destroyed, rather that all those with the enemy will be.

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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by Singalphile » Wed Nov 27, 2013 8:29 am

I don't have a strong (or very educated) opinion on this, and I have little time right now. Since amillennial replaced premillennialism as my default position, I've always thought that a period described symbolically as "1,000 years" is probably going to be a lot more than 1,000 years.
... that all may honor the Son just as they honor the Father. John 5:23

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Re: Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative by Sam Storms

Post by robbyyoung » Thu Nov 28, 2013 1:44 pm

Happy Thanksgiving All!

May God's blessing be upon the world and especially those in the foreign missions away from family and friends on this day of reflection. My following comments are both inquisitive and provoking. The Apostles and our Lord Jesus gave us all we need to know in regards to the types, shadows, and all OT prophecies being fulfilled. Post 70 A.D., inspired scripture, it's interpretation and application by Holy Prophets have been completed. Therefore, not one NT Prophet placed any eschatological event outside their generation. Also, to ensure their intent of the message was clear, every single conversation in this regard was clearly expectant upon the audience of the 1st Century.

What's shocking to me is that a normal person without any presuppositions would read the NT and without any reservation conclude, they are reading about historical events - whether they happened or not! Of course the skeptic says, NOT. But, that's ok, the point is these events pertain to a time and place almost 2000 years ago!

There are no eschatological events spoken of in the NT that is unfulfilled. This is proven by the clear teaching and belief of the NT Prophets and Church. It's been almost 2000 years and people still won't let go and seek the nature of how these events were fulfilled. I actually heard someone say it doesn't matter if 5000 years will pass, Jesus is still coming back! This erroneous understanding of scripture destroys the integrity of Jesus statements, as well as, the Apostles - proving the skeptics right day-by-day.

Concerns involving the evil that is still in the world is an elementary understanding of the nature of man, apart from the past influences of evil spirits (Gen 8:21). Welcome to the depravity of man, no Devil necessary! Jesus and the Saints are currently ruling over the nations with a rod of iron! Welcome to the kingdom and 10,000 years from now we will still be here, let your imagination run wild on this reality.

However, I'm sure the argument will still be their for some physical appearing and cosmic destruction to keep the 1st Century reality alive. But the timing of these events, as explained by inspired Prophets of old will win the debate with the elapse of time being their witness! Our witness!

God bless!

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