Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 178:711 (Jul 2021)
Article: A Biblical And Theological Evaluation Of Panmillennialism
Author: Daniel P. Wiley

BSac 178:711 (July-September 2021) p. 309

A Biblical And Theological Evaluation Of Panmillennialism

Daniel Wiley

Daniel Wiley is a teaching assistant at Baptist Bible Seminary, Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.

Abstract

Panmillennialism is one of the most distinct, intriguing theological movements within eschatology. Panmillennialists take a “non-position” on the millennium for various reasons, including the difficulty involved in synthesizing biblical data, its relative unimportance for Christian life, and the divisive nature of debates about the millennium. While panmillennialism has recognized the dangers of eschatolomania and the radical division of those who hold to various millennial views, the arguments presented in favor of panmillennialism are not logically coherent and are problematic when taken to their ultimate conclusion.

Introduction

Eschatology, from ἔσχατος (“last”) and λόγος (“word”), is the study of last things.1 It is, according to Reymond, the study of “both personal eventualities, such as death, the state of the disembodied human soul, the resurrection of the body, the final judgment, and the individual’s ultimate eternal destiny, and cosmic eventualities, such as the return of Christ, the liberation of creation from its bondage of decay, and the new heaven and new earth.”2 While there is essential agreement in the church about the importance of certain elements of eschatology,3 there is much disagreement

BSac 178:711 (July-September 2021) p. 310

concerning the chronology of events leading up to the Second Coming. According to Allison, “The evangelical church continues to reflect this essential agreement on Christ’s return and a broad spectrum of diverse views concerning its details.”4

One of the most controversial subtopics in eschatology is the nature of the millennium, the 1,000-year period described by the Apostle John in Revelation 20:1–6.5 The interconnected nature of the Second Coming, final judgment, and millennium means that one’s view of the millennium affects the rest of one’s eschatology. Sproul writes, “The differences displayed among the various millennial schools go far beyond their understanding of the Millennium itself. The differences are systematic and extend to every aspect of es...