Kingdom Come: The Amillennial Alternative

This is a good overview of the amillennial interpretive framework. It gives the reader a chance to taste this viewpoint's strengths and weaknesses. The Author's strengths: the overall critique of dispensationalism. The Author's weaknesses: an overly symbolic reading of some scriptures, particularly Jesus's Revelation to John; seeing contradictions in scripture where none are necessarily existent (ex: comparing the writings of Peter and Paul with the Revelation). The author's main bete noir is dispensational, pretribulational millennialism, and he does a good job of dissecting that position. His critique is less applicable to historical premillennialism. In a cursory glance at this view, Storms creates a strawman and then sets about tearing it down: the millennium as a period separate from the second coming (parousia) of Jesus. Historical premillennialism, also referred to in the early church as chiliasm, is the acceptance of the millennium defined in the Revelation to John as a literal event. That which is referred to variously in scriptures as the day of the Lord, the day of Christ, the parousia (second coming) is regarded in this view as a duration beyond a moment or 24 hours, a period in which all judgement and resurrection and prophetic promise is fulfilled through Christ. The word parousia (coming) itself is often used in scripture to denote presence, an antonym for absence, in which timing is indeterminate. The writer of 2 Peter, before describing the passing away of this age, reminds his audience that with the Lord 'one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day', that timing is different from a heavenly perspective. In this view, the second coming and the millennium are one and the same. Also, Storms does not adequately deal with the premillennialist critique of the symbolic reading of the millennium as 'the church age' in which the descriptions in Revelation regarding the millennium are a symbolic reign of Christ over the church. Particularly suspect is the symbolic reading of the binding of Satan. Anyone who looks at the history of the world over the past two thousand years would find it difficult to believe that Satan was no longer 'misleading the nations' as chapter 20 of the Revelation describes.

First let me point out that you can't beat the price for nearly 600 pages of systematic eschatology. Dr. Storms is like a breath of fresh air to all who genuinely employ logic, hermeneutics, and biblical attitude regarding the millennial debate. His writing is clear and he uses the appropriate amount of information respective to each chapter to make consistent, sound, logical, accessible, and persuasive points and conclusions. What impressed me even before reading this book was the conservative endorsements found on the back cover and the selected topics (as seen in the table of contents) that he included to build a case for his view. Though this millennial view is much older than that of the recent dispensational view (birthed less than 200 years ago), Storms offers new biblically synergistic perspectives which employ the tested hermeneutical principles established by the NT authors who in essence interpret the OT for us (esp. the Messianic passages). Like Storms, I too was taught to use a hyper literalistic approach to eschatological passages without any consideration for the OT use of e.g. the same metaphors. When considering a millennial position, one must not use Revelation chapter 20 as a matrix in which to interpret all of Scripture but rather consider its interpretation in light of the whole of Scripture. This is the hermeneutical principle termed "The Analogy of Faith." Though this book's purpose is to present a case for amillennialism, its span of pertinent topics therein serve to aid the reader in a broader, consistent, conservative, eschatological view in which Jesus is the apex of eschatology - not the reinstitution of old covenant ceremonies, land, temples, and sacrifices. To revert back to such as these reverses progressive revelation to digressing revelation and thus "trample(s) the Son of God underfoot," says the author of Hebrews. In that context, he is warning Jews that reverting back to such is as treating the blood of Jesus as an unholy thing (Heb. 10:29). Jesus died "once and for all" (Heb. 10:2, 10, 12, and 13) in His pure Temple so that we are now temples "living stones" who have no need of a building, land, or temple made from earth. We simply now look to our great hope of His return and our simultaneous rapture/resurrection (1 Cor. 15:52-55; 1 Thes. 4:16-17; Jn. 5:28-29). Reading a seven year period in between a rapture and resurrection in these passages stretches any hermeneutic to its snapping point. One must interpret the cloudy in light of the clear - not vice versa.

I am not a new believer in fact I got saved in the Jesus movement in the late 70's The Lord has kept me and I love Him with all of my heart. Frankly I never really was that into eschatology especially as to make it the main doctrine of my Christian life. That I was His and that He promised to return for His Children was fine by me. I was more into doing what He commanded in reaching the lost. Play the clock forward and eventually my wife and I went to a fine dispensational church that teaches the Bible. It was there that over twenty years as I was taught by the Pastor and I got fitted with the dispensationalist theology grid glasses they hand out every Sunday morning. About that time a friend of my wifes gave me an over dose of Messianic Judaism. Then our old Pastor and his wife came to visit us speaking about how a hidden planet called Nibiru was about hit earth. After I rejected that idea and shared some verses they tried to walk it back, So in desperation I was forced to do a complete re-set. An old friend of mine who was actually, back in the day, the lead teaching elder in Costa Mesa was a vital and true resource. I asked him about this book and he said it was a good book. That was many months ago and as i research it assimilating it day by day and week by week it has become my position on the end times. I can recommend it without reservation if your like me and want answers. I have come to believe the return of the Lord is still imminent but everyday find zero Biblical evidence for dispensational theology. I dont believe Jesus has three comings and there are not two plans of God as they teach, one for the Church and one for Israel. There has only ever been One plan through the Abrahamic covenant and in that plan He chose us before the foundation of the world ( Ephesians 1:4 ) the Church made up of all who are in Christ and it is the true Israel of God as it says so clearly in Galatians 6:16

This is my first ever product review. Going to college at a highly Dispensational and Premillennial school, this topic is frequently talked about and addressed in class. I have always been unconvinced with their arguments and sought a better alternative. I have always had a strong objection with the two people's of God based on what seemed to be very clear Scripture teaching otherwise within much of the New Testament. After reading this book, it was so good that I was compelled to write this for everyone. No matter your current views on the Millennial Kingdom, Sam Storms' book will be educational and persuasive. This book is extremely timely and valuable in the midst of modern evangelicalism. Although it is assumed and taught as dogma in most evangelical churches and on TV, Storms shows us how the premillennial understanding of end times theology is not the best interpretation. Based on the entirety of the Old and New Testaments, Storms walks us through verses that clearly point to a better hermeneutical approach to the highly symbolic book of Revelation. Storms helps us understand the Millennial Kingdom in light of what numerous other Scriptures teach in a much clearer way. His approach is to understand the highly symbolic and metaphorical book of Revelation in light of the clarity of Eschatology within the New Testament. This is a clear contrast to most dispensationalists who interpret Revelation with a "literal hermeneutic" and try to make the rest of Scripture conform to their preconceived understandings of the Millennial Reign of Christ. Additionally, Storms clearly and persuasively addresses my greatest objection to Premillennialism in confronting the unbiblical doctrines of the supposed "clear distinction" between Israel and the church. Storms defends that God has always had one elect of God from the beginning of time, through Israel, and through the church age. He defends the idea that "not all Israel is Israel," as Paul writes in Romans. Clearly, there is an elect within Israel that constitutes the "one true people of God," This one true people of God, or true Israel, were the elect Jewish congregation that would become the foundation of the church. This true church, which includes the elect of Jews and Gentiles both, now constitutes the elect of God and the true Israel. Furthermore, Storms shows how Christ was the true Israel, God's true obedient Son, in whom all the elect of both Jews and Gentiles reside through the Spirit of God. Through our union with the true Israel, Christ, we are children of the promise. The book itself is beautiful. It's also over 550 pages long. Storms does a wonderful job defending a position biblically and faithfully. It will open up a door of understanding and clarity of the treasures of God's Word as seen through the lens of His covenant promises to people who are unworthy to receive them. It will also illuminate Christ as the greatest treasure and King this world has ever seen. It will also shine the light back on the cross and resurrection, where God's glory is most clearly seen by all. There, after all, is where Jesus ascended His throne until the new heavens and new earth where we will reign with Christ forever. To take our eyes and focus off the cross and work of Christ on this earth to look for an earthly Kingdom is to miss the point. God's Kingdom has come in the death and resurrection of Christ. When He returns in glory, which could be at any time, He will consummate His Kingdom in the new heavens and new earth.

This is my 2nd time to read Kingdom Come by Sam Storms. The first time was in 2013. I actually enjoyed the book now more than then. Storms has a clear way of explaining eschatological concepts through Scripture. Anybody who really wants to learn about amillennialism should read this book. In fact, anyone who is interested in eschatology, teaching of the end-times, should read this book!

Wow, I thought that Sam did a great job laying the biblical basis for Amillennialism. Definitely learned a lot of things from brother Sam and I will need to revisit few things. Eschatology for a long time wasn't something I was interested in mainly because of the sense of people (prophecy geeks?) trying to tie current events with biblical prophecy and end times, so for a long time I stayed away from it. Until some 2 months ago when I came across a video on YouTube titled "Amillennialism: the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" I though that this Eschatological system was pretty interesting and seemed convincing and after that I happened to find Voddie Bauchum's (and a couple others) sermons on the book of Revelation which got me more interested in Eschatology and also that I realized that there was a lot of Eschatology in the Bible and if it's in the Bible, then God wants me to know it! I truly loved the depth that Dr Storms went in the chapters. Especially against (Dispensational) Premillennialism, exposing it's shaky foundations and proving that Premillennialism doesn't mean Pro-Millennialism. The discussion on Daniel's 70 weeks, the kingdoms in Daniel, other prophecies in Daniel, were just a "Wow" to me to the depth of those prophecies and also the Christ and not Israel centered hermeneutic. His insight on Israel and the Church was amazing. I especially loved the part about the Olivet Discourse and how basically Matthew 24:4-34 was fulfilled in the destruction of Jerusalem. It was really an eye opening reading the citations from Josephus and the horrors that the Jews went through in AD 70. An eye opening was also the fact that the imagery of Matthew 24:4-34 does not necessarily point to the "end of the world," but it uses imagery common to the Old Testament as Sam labors to prove. The only down-side (maybe because I wasn't paying that much attention?) was chapter 16. There he discussed the topic of the Antichrist from Revelation 13 and 17 and I didn't get that much of it especially the last few pages when Sam went on doing some weird (not good at math) stuff with numbers, lol. Overal, 5/5. Loved every bit and I'll surely revisit it many times to strengthen my position. I've already purchased Anthony Hoekema's The Bible and the Future which Dr Sam cited a few times, and also Kim Riddlebarger's A Case for Amillennialism. Soli Deo Gloria. Even so, come Lord Jesus, come quickly, Lord. Marana tha.

Honest, because Storms is not driven by denominational dogma but by a consistent Biblical hermeneutic; illuminating, because in his studied way, Storms incorporates the work of other theologians as he endeavors to clear the smoke of controversy by relying on Scripture to interpret Scripture. Both these traits are important in a field where otherwise sane pastors and theologians attempt to drag in ideas that disrupt the continuity and flow of Biblical revelation. Thus the first chapter of the book begins with "the hermeneutics of eschatology," laying down five interpretive assumptions, the first being that "Jesus Christ and his Church are the focal and terminating point of all prophecy." This is central because in laying down his amillenial (or as he would more accurately term it, the "realized millennium") interpretation, Storms builds on the foundational truth that Jesus was the true temple of God, that "the Old Testament finds its consummate fulfillment in the person of Christ and his body, the Church" (16). As the book unfolds, we are prepared to contemplate in Chapter 14 the "millennium" that John describes in the Apocalypse as "concurrent with the church age in which we live and consists of the co-regency with Christ of those believers who have died" and entered into glory (423). All the major topics of eschatology are interpreted thoroughly and contextually. Most helpfully, Storms gives us a clear picture of other eschatological positions as well, especially the seemingly dominant dispensationalist view. His fair-minded scholarship and Scripture-grounded exegesis, far from muddying the waters, seems to make a path through them. I found this to be the most helpful book on the Apocalypse I've read thus far.

I have been a pre-tribulation chiliast for my entire life (now in my late 50's). To my own dismay and shame, I have been isolated within my own little world of beliefs and never exposed myself to amillennialism. And, I must say that this book has been a totally convincing eye-opener. This is not just related to eschatology, but offers a completely new way of viewing the gospel. I will never read the Bible in the same way again. Best of all, it has removed much of the fear I have lived with for nearly six decades - a fear that pretribulation/premillennialism is unequalled in instilling in its adherents. I must congratulate also Sam Storms for the almost unique way in which he shows humility and respect for those who hold other millennial beliefs - a quality I tend to notice they totally lack when speaking/writing of amillennialists. Sam Storms exhibits a Christlike love and approach that I wish all believers would exhibit. Instead, so many are so ready to assign the label of heretic, while judging worthy of hell, anyone who does not share their exact doctrinal understandings. Sam comes across as a man who is at peace with his understanding of the gospel and, as such, feels no need to attack, in the slightest, those of other persuasions. But then, attack is typically the approach of those insecure in their beliefs and understanding. Bravo Sam Storms! I not only learned a great deal about the gospel, but saw an example of how to be a better Christian. If I have any negative critique is that Sam tends to go overboard in expounding his point. I was often convinced of a point, only to have Sam go on for another 10 pages driving the point home, covering every conceivable argument one might have to what he's conveying. So, there was a couple times, it was, "OK, Sam. I got it" ... skipping the next several pages or at best speed-reading to make sure I wasn't skimming over something important. In my view, one of the most important books a Christian can read.

Sam Storms really storms the other views with a reasonable, convincing defense. I had been a pre-mill for over three decades but I decided to get this book after listening to a panel discussion organized by John Piper with Sam Storms, Doug Wilson and Hamilton. I was kind of convinced by Sam then. Later I decided to listen to a series of sermons by Dr. Joel Beeke and Dr. Martyn Llyod Jones. As with the dispenstionalists, a few passges (like Daniel's 70 weeks, part of Mtt. 24) are kind of not that convincing. Being familiar only with a futurists reading of Daniel 2,7,8,11, Sam's exegesis have shed a new light on me. His chapters on Problem with Premillennialism, Matthew 24-25, Rom. 9,11, Acts. 1, 15, etc. are just mindblowing!! Though I haven't decided yet whether to join Amill or stay on Premill, one thing I would highly recommend that everyone must read this book at least once. Print quality is a bit poor, and a blurry cover design. Got the copy with a minor damage due to poor packing.

Finally a book on the endtimes that will outlast the next 30 years! Finally a book that faithfully exegetes the Biblical texts first before creating a theology. With a thorough logic Sam Storms will win you to consider amillenialism as your end-time scheme. And not because he puts the other views down, but because he makes sense of the Biblical text in their original setting. A must read for anyone who wants to know what Jesus said about the last days.

Si vous ne vous retrouvez pas dans les doctrines dispensationnalistes ou prémillenialistes (qui ne respectent pas les Saintes Ecritures, malgré ce que peuvent en dire leurs défenseurs), alors c'est le livre qu'il vous faut. Tout est y passé à la loupe. Un véritable "must read" pour la communauté chrétienne non-catholique qui se pose des questions sur l'eschatologie (c'est à dire une minorité de personnes en France, malheureusement ...)

I have not yet completed the book, but what I have read is very impressive with plenty of scriptural proof texts and contexts to validate with compelling force, that amillennialism is the true exposition of Scripture. Highly recommend this book.

Came quickly and was in perfect condition!