Why should Christians—especially those in the Reformed camp—embrace amillennialism over premillennialism or dispensationalism? In this post, I’ll share five compelling reasons that won me over, and I believe they can convince you too. First off, the Old Testament doesn’t breathe a word . . . Continue reading →
Amillennialism
Amillennialism Is Not Pessimistic
It was R. J. Rushdoony (1916–2001) who helped popularize the notion that Postmillennialism offers the only truly optimistic view of history: the belief that the kingdom of God will come on this earth in fullness before the second coming of Christ, converting . . . Continue reading →
A Response to Brent E. Parker and Richard J. Lucas (eds.), Covenantal and Dispensational Theologies: Four Views on the Continuity of Scripture (Part 1)
At my ordination, I took a vow that I hold the Westminster Standards “as containing the system of doctrine taught in the Holy Scriptures,” expressing that these documents summarize the shape of biblical truth most accurately. This “system” of doctrine connects various . . . Continue reading →
Stop Saying That Amillennialism Is “Pessimistic” But Postmillennialism Is “Optimistic”
This is a classic case of begging the question, i.e., assuming what has to be proved. People regularly say that amillennialism is “pessimistic” but postmillennialism is “optimistic.” Who is pessimistic about what? Define pessimism. Who says? By what standard? I say that amillennialism . . . Continue reading →
Keele: The Kingdom Of God In This Life Is Paradoxical
And again he said, “To what shall I compare the kingdom of God? It is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, until it was all leavened.” (Luke 13:20-21) A similar dynamic is brought out with . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 182: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (25)—Peaceful Pilgrims
This is the 25th and final episode in the series, As It Was In The Days of Noah. When I began I thought I would cover both 1 and 2 Peter but I didn’t know that the series would stretch to 25 . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 170: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (16): Life Among The Pagans (Again)
This is episode 16 in the series, As It Was In The Days Of Noah, where we’re thinking about eschatology, about what 1 Peter teaches us about end times and about life in between the ascension of Christ and his return. According . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 168: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (14): Peter’s Theology Of Suffering
There is a thread running through the book of Isaiah, which some have called the Gospel of Isaiah. It is that of the servant. The prophet himself is described as the servant (עבד) of Yahweh (Isa 20:3). David is also Yahweh’s servant . . . Continue reading →
The Dispensational Playbook Again? There Is A More Biblical, Historic Way
“Now we are a global world. And that is a setup that we’ve been waiting for through redemptive history since the Lord promised that there would come, in the future, an Antichrist…who would have a global government.” He told the crowd this . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 162: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (9): Living As Holy Exiles And Pilgrims
As Garrison Keillor used to say, it has been an interesting week in Lake Wobegon and our passage for this episode, 1 Peter 1:13–21, has never been so relevant. The Apostle Peter, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, wrote this epistle . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 161: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (8): The Good News Of Salvation Was Announced In One Covenant Of Grace
In this series we are considering the eschatology in 1 & 2 Peter, i.e., the relations between heaven and earth, between the end of all things and now, and life between the ascension of Christ and his visible, noisy, bodily return. Peter . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 160: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (7): Christ’s Abounding Graces
One of the principal reasons I became an amillennialist in eschatology was my study of 1 and 2 Peter. One of the reasons that, after study, investigation, and prayer, I rejected the claims of the Pentecostal moment is the triumphalism of the . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 159: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (6): To Elect Exiles, Sojourners, And Aliens
Thus far we have been looking at eschatology generally. I have been making the case for an amillennial reading of Scripture. We have been using our Lord’s words, “As It Was In The Days of Noah” (Matt 24:37; Luke 17:26) as our . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 158: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (5): The Revelation
These episodes were meant to be an introduction to Christian eschatology so that we can consider 1 and 2 Peter but it has turned into a mini-series of its own and in this episode we’re looking that the Revelation given to the . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 157: Calls On Eschatology, the Work of Holy Spirit In Jesus’ Ministry, The Ecumenical Councils, And Pragmatism
We are a little late with our call-in show but here it is with excellent calls from London, UK, New Jersey, Madison, IN, and St Louis among other places. As always we have great calls on a variety of topics. I must . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 156: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (4)
If we are to understand how we’re to think about eschatology, about end times, about the relations between heaven and earth, and about life between the ascension of Christ and his return, we have to get to grips with our Lord’s Olivet . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 155: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (3)
“Yahweh saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually…But Noah found favor in the eyes of Yahweh. Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 154: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (2)
We begin this episode with a classic public service announcement by Vincent Price from 1950, warning about the dangers of bigotry and prejudice in American life. You shall have to hear it for yourself. It is apropos of our renewed social concern . . . Continue reading →
Heidelcast 153: As It Was In The Days Of Noah (1)
What is God doing in the history of redemption and how to does that inform us about what he will do in the future? What were the Old Testament believers expecting? Has God promised to establish a literal 1,000 year kingdom on . . . Continue reading →
With The New Geneva Podcast On Amillennialism (Part 2)
For many American evangelicals, faithfulness to the Bible means believing in a view of end times (eschatology) that teaches that says something like this: The book of the Revelation is to be read literally (including chapter 20) The formation of the nation . . . Continue reading →