The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views

Christ is coming again.

Since the first century, Christians have agreed that Christ will return. But since that time there have also been many disagreements. How will Christ return? When will he return? What sort of kingdomwill he establish? What is the meaning of the millennium? These questions persist today.

Four major views on the millennium have had both a long history and a host of Christian adherents. In this Spectrum Multiview volume Robert G. Clouse brings together proponents of each view: George Eldon Ladd on historic premillenniallism, Herman A. Hoyt on dispensational premillennialism, Loraine Boettner on post-millennialism and Anthony A. Hoekema on amillennialism.

After each view is presented, proponents of the three competing views respond from their own perspectives. Here you'll encounter a lively and productive debate among respected Christian scholars that will help you gain clearer and deeper understanding of the different ways thechurch approaches the meaning of the millennium.

Spectrum Multiview Books offer a range of viewpoints on contested topics within Christianity, giving contributors the opportunity to present their position and also respond to others in this dynamic publishing format.

Ladd, professor of New Testament exegesis and theology at Fuller Theological Seminary since 1950, was educated at Gordon College and Gordon Divinity School (B.D.) and received the Ph.D. from Harvard University. He also did postdoctoral study at Heidelberg and Basel Universities. Ordained as an American Baptist minister, Ladd served several churches in the denomination. He was professor of Greek at Gordon College (1942-45) and head of the department of New Testament at Gordon Divinity School (1946-50). His writings include Crucial Questions about the Kingdom of God (1952), The Blessed Hope (1956), The Gospel of the Kingdom (1959), Jesus Christ and History (1963), The New Testament and Criticism(1965), The Pattern of the New Testament (1968), Commentary on The Revelation (1972) and The Theology of the New Testament (1974).

Hoyt (A.B., B.D., M.Th., Th.D., LL.D.) was chancellor and professor of Christian theology at Grace Theological Seminary and Grace College in Winona Lake, Indiana. He wrote The End Times (1969) and several other books. He also contributed to a number of national Christian periodicals.

Boettner is a graduate of Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.B., 1928; Th.M, 1929), where he studied systematic theology under Dr. C. W. Hodge. In 1933 he received the Doctor of Divinity, and in 1957 the Doctor of Literature. He taught the Bible for eight years at Pikeville College (Kentucky). His books include The Reformed Doctrine of Predestination (1932), Studies in Theology (1947), Immortality (1956) and Roman Catholicism (1962).

Hoekema emigrated from the Netherlands to the United States in 1923. He attended Calvin College (A.B.), the University of Michigan (M.A.), Calvin Theological Seminary (Th.B.) and Princeton Theological Seminary (Th.D., 1953). After serving as minister of several Christian Reformed churches (1944-56) he became associate professor of Bible at Calvin College and later professor of systematic theology at Calvin Theological Seminary. He wrote The Four Major Cults (1963), What about Tongue-Speaking? (1966), Holy Spirit Baptism (1972), The Christian Looks at Himself (1975) and The Bible and the Future (1979).

Robert G. Clouse (PhD, University of Iowa) was professor emeritus of history at Indiana State University in Terre Haute, Indiana. He was also an ordained Brethren minister and served churches in Iowa and Indiana. His books include Meaning ofthe Millenium, Women in Ministry, War: Four Christian Views and Wealth and Poverty. He also wrote The New Millenium Manual (Baker), Two Kingdoms (Moody), The Story of the Church (Moody) and Puritans, the Millenium and the Future of Israel (Clarke, with Peter Toon).