Some years ago, Sam Storms published a brief explanation of why he abandoned premillennialism for amillennialism. Recently, Pastor Matt Recker of New York has written what I think is a convincing reply, “Why I Cannot Change My Mind on the Premillennial Return of Christ.” Recker’s reply is particularly significant in view of the importance of the doctrine of the Lord’s return. Thanks to Pastor Recker for the essay, and to the FBFI for publishing on Proclaim and Defend.
Storms finds it impossible to believe in the Millennial Kingdom of Jesus Christ on earth for 1,000 years for a number of reasons and concludes that “premillennialists must believe what the NT explicitly denies.” Major points that he insists that are a clear contradiction to NT teaching is that premillennialists must “believe that physical death will continue to exist beyond the time of Christ’s second coming.” He also insists that the “the New Heavens and the New Earth are introduced immediately following the parousia.”
Does the Scripture teach explicitly and without any doubt what Storms says that it does?
No, it does not. I wholeheartedly disagree with Storms on these points and other details he says the New Testament cannot teach regarding Christ’s literal earthly kingdom. Let’s consider these two points in further detail and then conclude with John’s chronology in the Book of Revelation, a chronology which contradicts Storms’ amillennialism.
