Managing the Millennial Maze

Kim Riddlebarger does the world a favor writing this book, “A Case for Amillennialism, understanding the End Times.” Kim sets out his own goal for the book saying “This study will not attempt to find bilblical texts that explain current events in the Middle East. I will not evaluate potential antichrist candidates. Now will I discuss how rapidly developing technology is preparing the way for a totalitarian world government. Rather, this books focus will be on the biblical teaching about things future, and we will explore different biblical themes to develop a full understanding of the millennial age as taught by biblical writers.”
He then sets out the varying premillennial and postmillennial views for the last days, and makes the case for Amillennialism which Protestantism, Lutheran and Reformed have historically embraced along with the church catholic, or the church of all time and all places. He does so in a clear and concise manner.
This book is a treasure in that Kim who grew up a premillennialist and dabbled with postmillennialism is in a unique position to see the strengths and weaknesses of all the different views concerning eschatology, and or Chiliasm. He writes in a manner that is not only easy to follow but enjoyable. He takes no mean stabs, creates not straw men. He writes with a pastoral heart that is genuinely concerned about the tortures and frightened souls who have consumed today’s rehashed Jewish myths, of which Paul warned Titus.
Lutheran’s might chafe at the term “Amillennial.” As in fact we do believe in a millennium. But Kim Riddlebarger disarms the rejoinder often heard from our Lutheran circles concerning this fact. He points out, and rightfully so, that Amillennialism does not actually deny that there is a millennium. In this Lutherans and Reformed Amillennialists are agreed. There is a millennium and we are in it now, it is now spanning into the third millennium.
Lutherans may find a few other things to chafe at in this book. So far though, I haven’t found anything out there better. And let’s face it, this is primarily an inter-reformed fight. It is from reformed circles (I use the Lutheran meaning of reformed here, meaning all you all who aren’t Lutheran or Catholic) that our own laity are infected with these forms of confused chiliasm. Any pastor who has converts from evangelical and Baptist circles will understand the torture of soul that dispensational premillennialism inflicts upon Christ’s sheep. They will find Kim Riddlebarger’s book to be of immense value, as they try to understand the confused millennial maze themselves, and will also be able to buy and give this book to others with a clean conscience.