A Basic Guide to Eschatology: Making Sense of the Millennium

by Millard J. Erickson

A leading evangelical theologian provides a comprehensive examination of the various evangelical views of the millennium (and other eschatological subjects).

Genres: Theology, Christian, Nonfiction

200 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

About the author

Millard J. Erickson (PhD, Northwestern University) has served as a pastor and seminary dean and has taught at several schools, including Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, Western Seminary (Portland and San Jose), and Baylor University. He has also held numerous visiting professorships, both in the United States and internationally, and is the author of many books. Erickson lives in Mounds View, Minnesota.

Reviews

[Daniel Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you can survive the boring beginning the rest of the book where he compares the millennial and rapture viewpoints is excellent!!

[Brian Pate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful overview of eschatological views from Ritschl to Ryrie. Erickson is historic premil, but I felt like he presented each view in a fair and balanced way.

[Chuck Noren · Rating 2 out of 5]

Adequate. The author is a historical premillenialist but is careful to write as objectively as possible. The first section gives some of eschatology views from the mainstream scholarly community from the 19th and 20th centuries. in the second part he is weak on the amillennial view. Much work has been done in Reformed circles on the amillennial view, which is clearer and give it a better footing than he indicates in his chapter. The book was originally published in 1977. There has been much work done in an eclectic amillennial/postmillenial/partial preterist mix in the 1990s-2000s, which this book doesn’t capture.

I purchased this as a $1.99 Kindle book. Decent price, I wouldn't want to spend more.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Great overview, short and sweet.

[David Perde · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very useful introduction on the topic of eschatology and the different views regarding the millennium. Erickson sets out to present in an objective manner all these concepts, focusing on their history of interpretation across time, their main principles and assesing both their weaknesses and strengths.

[John Pate · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book sets out to be a "basic" guide to some difficult questions. In that sense, it was helpful.

I felt that its strength (brevity) is also its weakness. In seeking to tackle such involved issues in such a small space, it often seems to fall prey to reductionism. I wondered sometimes if modern adherents to these positions would have felt that Erickson gave their beliefs a fair shake.

I would have loved to see more of the exegesis behind each view and also how the NT's use of the OT plays into our understanding of NT scripture, such as Rev. 20. This book is about 25 years old, so maybe a new edition could solve some of these issues.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Basic Guide to Eschatology: Making Sense of the Millennium" by Millard Erickson is a compelling and accessible exploration of one of Christianity's most intriguing and debated doctrines. Erickson, a seasoned theologian, navigates the complex terrain of eschatology with clarity and scholarly insight, providing readers with a comprehensive guide to understanding the various perspectives on the millennium.

One of the notable strengths of this book is Erickson's ability to distill complex theological concepts into a format that is approachable for readers at all levels of familiarity with the subject. The clarity of his exposition and the logical progression of ideas make this book an invaluable resource for those seeking a solid foundation in eschatological studies.

Erickson delves into the diverse interpretations of the millennium, presenting major views with fairness and precision. Whether discussing premillennialism, postmillennialism, or amillennialism, he provides a balanced examination of each perspective, allowing readers to grasp the nuances and theological underpinnings of these positions.

The book engages not only with the biblical texts related to eschatology but also with historical and theological developments, providing a well-rounded understanding of how beliefs about the end times have evolved within the Christian tradition. Erickson's approach is both informative and thought-provoking, encouraging readers to wrestle with the complexities of eschatological thought.

"Basic Guide to Eschatology" stands out as a reliable and engaging resource for anyone seeking to navigate the intricate landscape of millennial views. Erickson's scholarship is evident throughout, and his commitment to presenting a fair and thorough exploration of the subject is commendable. Whether you're a student of theology, a pastor, or a curious reader, this book offers a clear and insightful guide to making sense of the millennium within the broader framework of Christian eschatology.

[Rachel Shallenberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was good, but not great. It was a little inconsistent in that it was super technical sometimes but then left out key Scriptures and points sometimes... Overall not bad, definitely biased though (despite what the title portrays), biased in a way I agree with but still. Be upfront about it, I guess. Okay. But yeah historic premil for the win. ;) Most supported by Scripture imo and you can definitely see it throughout the OT too. Which is kool

[James Yates · Rating 4 out of 5]

Took a little longer to get through than my normal Jack Reacher or Joe Pickett novels. I was interested in end-times details and selected Dr Erickson’s book and learned a great deal. The positions explained and criticized of some of the great thinkers really helped me to clarify my thoughts on end-times prophecy. Reads a little like a text book because it is teaching the reader.

[Jared Beebe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a pretty decent book covering the main views of eschatology. It is more of a beginners guide for exposing the reader to the different details making up end-times views. I wish the author would have spent much more time in the conclusion arguing for his eschatological view. He only spends two pages, and the book ends abruptly without much explanation for his end-times conviction.

[Caleb · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great, simple intro to get the basic vocabulary of evangelical views on eschatology. Most people will probably complain because his arguments aren’t detailed enough to defend said reader’s personal eschatological convictions, but I don’t think that was his goal. As an introduction, I think Erickson did a good job.

[Justin Siemens · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fair and balanced comparison

I appreciated the balanced perspectives and the time Erickson places on recognizing and mapping the history of these traditional eschatological perspectives.

[Mason Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the best eschatological book I've read for my class. Abundantly clear and fair. That being said, it also rather dated now. There's a poor defense of Amillenialism and a lot of discussion about imminence that has fallen by the wayside. Regardless, this was helpful.

[Dillon Reinkensmeyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well done book that was fair and unbiased towards all the major views. The important thing being this: Christ is coming back, this provides all Christians with hope. To quote the end of the book; “in essentials unity, in doubtful matters liberty, in all things charity”

[Eric C 1965 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of 3(4) positions on the Millenium and 2(3) postions on the tribulation.

[Colin Fast · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fairly dated (originally published in the 80's, revised in the 90's) but a good overview of the main millennium views (pre, post, and a-) and different perspectives on the tribulation.

[Derek · Rating 5 out of 5]

Esse livro simplesmente é fantástico. Fácil leitura e compreensão. Se você quer começar a estudar essa tão interessante área da teologia, que é a escatologia, recomendo esse livro.

[Douglas Reis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good foundation.

[Michael Meyerdirk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good basic overview of the various perspectives on Eschatology. As always, there is a level of bias towards the authors perspective, but that is typically unavoidable.

[Joshua Pankey · Rating 3 out of 5]

A helpful perusal if you’re curious about evangelical views of the millennium. An ugly mix of colors to add to your bookshelf otherwise (0 stars for the cover).

[Levi Friesen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good survey. A little dated (1999), and as such doesn't consider present developments in popular eschatological discourse, using examples that are now less relevant.

[Ashley Upchurch · Rating 3 out of 5]

a moderate read for a seminary book and does a great job at clarifying different theological perspectives on the end times. would recommend if you want an insightful theology read!

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great overview of tribulation and millennium views.

[Cortney Joy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent! I had been muddled in the "fog" of terms and ideas, trying to follow conversations among my friends about their views and positions. Reading this book cut out the 3 major millennial views clearly for me, and the two tribulation positions. Not a long read, and not overly biased toward one view. Fair handed, he gives facts, basics, and history, and closes with a brief positive/negative evaluation of each.
My only complaint would be his reference to an occasional greek word without the translation, assuming perhaps a year of basic Greek for his readers.

[Joseph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Slightly more in depth than your typical Systematic Theology book. Erickson does an excellent job treating the different views as fairly and impartially as possible (so much so, I wasn't sure what his own convictions were until I read his conclusion). What I enjoyed about this work is that Erickson included when each view was predominant throughout church history and who supported it; and in some instances how the view became predominant. I thought that was very interesting / enlightening.

[Mallory Murphy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great intro to eschatology, but seems to rely on the assumption that the reader is familiar with Greek (which I am not). The author is a posttribulational premillennialist, but does a decent job of writing without bias. I’d recommend to anyone wanting to know more about the various positions within eschatology, but not without the addition of other sources.

[Joshua Stager · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clear overview from a gentle pre-millenial post-tribulational bias. While the book explores all major perspectives (and some minor ones) with sensitivity to historical theology (a big plus for me), it did not paint a clear picture of amillenialism. Otherwise, it was an extremely good survey.

[Lily-joseph Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Erickson has done a good job to introduce major positions on Eschatology. Although he has his own convictions (premil, posttrib), he fairly objectively presented historical backgrounds, tenets, positives, and negatives of each position. It is a good basic introduction to Eschatology.

[Marc Plazola · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was generally a good overview of the eschatological systems (millennial, tribulation, and contemporary systems). It's a good book for those looking for an introductory study of eschatology.