Book Reviews -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 150:598 (Apr 1993)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous


Book Reviews

A Case for Premillennialism: A New Consensus. Edited by Donald K. Campbell and Jeffrey L. Townsend. Chicago: Moody Press, 1992. 290 pp. $21.99.

After approximately 1, 500 years of rejection as an aberrant, sectarian doctrine (from the time of Augustine, 354–430), premillennialism (called chiliasm in earlier times) has become a widely held eschatological position during the past century or so, “especially on the North American scene and on the mission fields strongly influenced by North American missionaries” (p. 7). In addition premillennialism is now widely recognized as the prevailing eschatological position of the postapostolic church until Augustine (pp. 8, 236-41).

Despite its current popularity, premillennialism is dismissed by many as based largely on a single passage in the highly symbolic Book of Revelation (20:1–10). Furthermore, as Kenneth S. Kantzer states in the foreword, “Premillennialism has come under severe attacks in the last decade. It has been labeled a new heresy” (p. 10). Such misunderstanding and accusation justify the production of this volume of essays by 14 scholars from five schools (including Dallas Seminary) who set forth evidence throughout the Bible in support of premillennialism. The authors are Ronald B. Allen, Kenneth L. Barker, Darrell L. Bock, Robert B. Chisholm, Jr., Homer Heater, Jr., D. Edmond Hiebert, Harold W. Hoehner, Elliott E. Johnson, S. Lewis Johnson, Jr., Walter C. Kaiser, Jr., David K. Lowery, Mark F. Rooker, John H. Sailhamer, and Jeffrey L. Townsend.

As Campbell, president of Dallas Seminary, explains in his preface, the “project was undertaken to present the best exegetical evidence for premillennialism in a positive way” (p. 13). Though alternative eschatological positions and biblical interpretations are discussed and refuted, the “purpose was not to attack amillennialism or postmillennialism so much as to state positively why we, the editors and authors of this volume, are premillennialists” (ibid.). In keeping with this statement, the tone throughout the book is calm and irenic. Alternative views are presented accurately and fairly with exegetical evidence presented to show that premillennialism is the teaching of Scripture.

In planning the book “the editors first set out to make a

determination of the key passages that support premillennialism” (p. 14). Many others could have been chosen and are mentioned in the discussions of those that were selected, as the extensive Scripture index reveals. A subject index also is provided and the essays are thoroughly footnoted, demonstrating the authors’ knowledge of the lit...

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