Amillennialist proponent, Dr. Kim Riddlebarger, conducts his series of talks on end-time eschatology titled, “Amillennialism 101”. Chapters include:
What Is Amillennialism? (1/16)
Defining terms and expanding our eschatological vocabulary.
Interpreting Bible Prophecy (Part One) (2/16)
Unpacking and analyzing our eschatological presuppositions.
Interpreting Bible Prophecy (Part Two) (3/16)
Continuing the discussion on presuppositions and methodology.
Covenant Theology and Eschatology (4/16)
What is reformed covenant theology and why do amillennials hold it as the core of their eschatology?
These Things Were Foretold (Part One) (5/16)
Introducing the Messianic prophesies in the Old Testament.
These Things Were Foretold (Part Two) (6/16)
Old Testament themes that foretold the coming of Christ. How does the New Testament interpret a number of Old Testament prophecies?
The Basic Elements of New Testament Eschatology (7/16)
This talk deals with big picture eschatological issues such as 1) identifying your operating assumptions (presuppositions) and 2) understanding and agreeing on a common hermeneutic framework.
Christ, the True Israel (8/16)
Three basic features of New Testament eschatology: 1) Fulfilled prophecy in the coming Messiah, 2) what was foretold in the Old Testament was revealed as two ages in the New Testament, and 3) the blessings of the first coming of Christ guarantees the second coming of Christ.
Christ, the True Temple (9/16)
Looking at the Old Testament through the revelation of the New Testament.
The Two-Age Model (Part One) (10/16)
Dr. Kim Riddlebarger introduces Two-Age eschatology as the key to understanding New Testament eschatology. Dr. Riddlebarger argues the Two-Age model–if understood correctly–eliminates the possibility of an earth-bound millennium.
The Two-Age Model (Part Two) (11/16)
Covers the Two-Age model, specifically dealing with the implausibility of premillennialism.
Resource: Two-Age scripture list and accompanying chart.
The Two-Age Model and New Testament Parallels (12/16)
Understanding the eschatology of the Old Testament and how it is continued into the New Testament, including New Testament parallels.
The Kingdom of God (Part One) (13/16)
The Old Testament anticipation of the kingdom of God. What does Jesus say about the unfolding kingdom of God?
The Kingdom of God (Part Two) (14/16)
Continues to discuss the present reality of the kingdom of God as a spiritual and non-nationalistic kingdom.
The Age of the Holy Spirit – Deals with Christ’s resurrection and the new creation. (15/16)
Further discussion advancing the Two-Age model which explains references to “this age” equals this temporal reality and “the age to come” indicates the eternal, whereby Jesus’ Second Coming is the demarcation that leads us into the age to come.
The Church as the Israel of God – Replacement Theology? (16/16)
Dr. Riddlebarger discusses the important aspect of Reformed Amillennialism, that being the ideas that the Church is the Israel of God. Understanding this controversial aspect of Reformed Amillennialism is vital because it is this concept that brings considerable criticism from premillennial dispensationalists by their accusation that amillennials reject Israel and replace them with the Church.
19 replies on “Amillennialism 101”
I have a question about Revelation and what is considered from it to have been fulfilled in 70AD. For example postmillenialism says that up until Revelation 20 everything is about 70AD (partial pretersim). My question is what does an Amillennial consider to be the cut off point where we move from 70AD to our future. Do we have a clear point in Revelation where we can point and say, up until here it was about the fall of Jerusalem and from now we’re talking about our future?
Adrian, great question. At least for this Amill, I would agree with the Postmill perspective on this one. So far. That could change with more study. The 70 AD judgments (I’m referring to chapters 18-19) seem to walk right into the millennial reign of Christ (chp20) and come to a close with the White Throne Judgment at the end of chapter 20.
Looking at demarcation of time periods, that is 1000 years , 1260 months, etc., it seems like Christ only spoke of two “time periods.”
That is , “this age” (earthly temporal) and the “age to come” (eternal state). It appears that both coming and judgement occurs simultaneously. What are your thoughts on this?
The claim of post mill that up till Rev 20 has been fulfilled is not warranted and is contradicted by so many texts in the book. Eg Rev 6:12-17, great day, pertains to the judgment of Kings of the Earth and all flesh of people. These kings are not leaders of Israel but rather the kings of the whole world given the fact that this great day is the day of wrath when God will bring judgment to the GATHERED Nations and their kings as Ezek 38:18-12, Zech 14, Joel 3:9-16, Hag 2:22-23, Isa2, 24, 34, Nah 1 all show. These texts are universal in Nature and thus they were not fulfilled in AD70
This same great day is seen in Rev 11:7-19, and its the resurrection of the church signified as the 2 witnesses, at the end of the great tribulation of the beast to come, and also the end of the kimgdom of the world because its also the day of judgment of the dead which is Dan 12:1-3, John 5:28-29, Rev 20:10-15.
Again these things have not been fulfilled nor pertained to AD70 which was a local judgment. . Also Rev 14:14-20 which is the great sickle judgment and harvest in Joel 3, Matt 13:36-50 all of which pertain to all the Nations and not Israel have not been fulfilled. Again this was not AD70 . Then in Rev 16:17-21, the 7th bowl is also the great day when the the great city which is made up of the cities of the Nations will be destroyed . This again is universal judgment and not AD70. Then in Rev 16:12-14,17:15-17, 19:11-21, this judgment pertains to the beast to come, and the kings of all the Nations with all flesh. This is the judgment at christ comimg with his holy ones who are also the perfected Church as sons of God who are judges with Christ. This judgment is Again universal as the text shows, and its the same judgment in Matt 25:31-46, Zech 14, these texts show a universal judgment and thus its not AD70. Then if course Rev 20:10-15, has not been fulfilled since that will mean the end of death itself and its also the same great day aka the parousia when Heavens and earth will pass away. . Hence its a false teaching to say up till Rev 20 has been fulfilled. For the same great day is repeated in all the judgment day visions I cited and thus it shows the book is cyclical and therefore one can’t make such a claim as postmills do. Ammill therefore can’t say the book has bern fulfilled up till a point. Eg the very promises to the churches in Rev 2, 3, is still what the spirit gives to Christians as their hope pertaining to the same temptations . Certainly all the great days are dealing with universal judgment and this has not been fulfilled since it will lead to the NHNE itself. Hope this helps
Hello!
My name is Gracin Galbreath, and I am a 14-year-old with a passion for writing about Christ and spreading His Word online. I am a writer on multiple publications on Medium, and a couple of months ago, I became an amillennial partial-preterist. I was wondering if you are running Amillennial.org, as I enjoy reading from the site. Is there anyway I could become a contributor to write articles on it?
Thanks for your time, God bless!
Here is the link to my Medium, which can also be found in the website field below on this contact form:
Medium.com/@GracinJGalbreath
Gracin, we connected on Fakebook. Looking forward to seeing what you come up with! God bless you, brother!
How do you interpret Zechariah 14 as an Amillenial of which I am also? Always had trouble understanding how to explain that chapter.
Roger, thanks for writing. Not sure I’m yet ready to teach Zechariah, but I would probably start with Steve Gregg: https://amillennial.org/zechariah/. Matthew
Thx so much for the information it has been refreshing to see an honest and scholastic attempt to explain this most difficult book. Steve Greg in my opinion has done a masterful job and I greatly appreciate the help. My first exposure to his teaching and look forward to more from him. I have thoroughly enjoyed Mr. Riddlebarger’s book; A Case for Amillennialism. God bless! Christ Alone! 2Cor. 3:18
Roger, I agree! Both teachers are great! Glad you enjoyed them!
I have been trying to find an amillennial explanation of Rev. 20:4-6 which does not claim that souls are in heaven reigning with Christ. After all, the Bible says that there will a resurrection of the dead. So the people who passed away MUST BE DEAD. The Bible never says their bodies are dead. It always says that the person is dead.
Anyway, do you know of an amillennial explanation of Rev. 20:4-6 which does not say that souls are in heaven reigning with Christ?
As someone who has recently abandoned my dispensational upbringing and am embracing the a-millennial view, I’m trying to piece together some of my new beliefs. One of the things that I’m wondering is the a-millennial view of the Great Tribulation. From what I can see, the only reason that anyone would expect a 7 year, great tribulation is based on the dispensational, misreading of Daniel 9. If Daniel 9 is interpreted properly, is there any reason to expect a 7 year tribulation period?
Nope. You are seeing rightly, Joe.
The Holy Spirit started dragging me by the heels away from Dispensationalism last February. It didn’t take long to see that all of Dispensationalism stands or falls on that one-legged stool: Daniel 9:27. They don’t understand there there is only one “prince” in the entire passage. Israel had the Great Trib in 67 – 70 AD, and it was NOT 7 years! As the 7 years applies to the exclusive preaching of the Gospel to the Jews, there is no reason to expect a 7-year period.
Here’s my big HOWEVER. The wife and I are now pretty well convinced that the “thousand year” (a long, indefinite period) time of satan’s binding is over and that we could very well be in his “little season” of deceiving the nations. To me, that is a “black box” of trouble and we don’t know what’s in it, except for what we have seen with our own eyes! We sure have seen a lot of deception.
Here’s where I really go out on a limb. A few months into my late-night study sessions, I learned about the “Full Preterist” beliefs. It bothered me a lot. I started whining to God, “If all the prophecy is fulfilled, what’s left for us? Are you going to leave this world in this terrible mess forever??” He answered me! His reply was, “To the Jew first, and then to the gentile.” He was saying (as far as my little brain can tell) that what happened to Jerusalem is a type (and a warning) of what will happen to the whole earth at the very end of this age when the Resurrection happens.
If a comparison of John 5:24-29 with Rev. 20:1-6 does not make the case for Amillennialism then I don’t know what does.
Mike, since the wicked are also raised in the John passage (v28-29), would this not indicate the final judgment and not the current intermediate reign? But I could see v24-27 applying to Revelation 20:1-6, sure. Thoughts?
I suggest that John 5:25 is the same as “made alive” in Eph. 2 and the “first resurrection” in Rev. 20. Note this hour was both “coming and now here.” John 5:28-29 refer to the final resurrection, which corresponds to the resurrection of all the dead in Revelation. Both pericopes refer to the same thing. The millennium is the time in-between the two resurrections, i.e., the first and second advents of Christ.
+1. It only took me 33 years to understand that.
Just to be a little more clear. There are two hours with two resurrections in John 5:24-29. The first hour is “coming and now here.” It is the spiritual resurrection when the Lord’s voice brings regeneration to the elect.
The second hour is not “here,” but it is coming. And its resurrection is of all the dead at the final resurrection.
These two resurrections correspond to the first and second resurrections in Revelation 20. I hope that clears up any confusion.