Third Revised Edition 

Amillennialism as a Political Reality to

Be Reckoned Within Christian Churches

by Mark E. Mountjoy

Introductory Remarks

Amillennialism is a political reality in the Christian world.  It influences the way Christians understand a set of subjects:  The last days, the Second Coming and the end of the world and concerns (the Law of Moses, Israel, the Gospel of Christ, the Church, orthodoxy, heresy, judgment day and the eternal state). 

In relation to orthodoxy and heresy, Amillennialism also influences doctrinal policies and what is considered acceptable or taboo and since Amillennialism is the norm it is considered orthodox.  These influences and concerns are central  to Christian self-understanding and carry important weight in defining what is correct teaching within Christianity.  

But, before one can accept Amillennialism as being orthodox, or before one can label Atavism as heretical, one should and must ascertain, through first-hand research, observation, comparison and analysis, what is at issue and what is at stake—in light of the Bible, in general, and the New Testament, in particular.

In Amillennialism received wisdom of twenty centuries of Christianity lives, breathes and agrees with all the accepted creeds rehearsed by Christians daily and weekly.  

Now, it is easy to assume that 'received wisdom' needs no justification.  Is not the traditional view pure, hallowed and sacred by virtue of its age, esteem and ubiquity?  Surely it reiterates what the New Testament advocates and upholds!  Surely Jesus, Peter, Paul and the other holy Apostles believed and taught the same view! 

However, a closer inspection of the inner logic behind Amillennialism will reveal troubling differences and serious omissions.  Rampant efforts to conflate texts, topics and themes plague the view.  On a number of levels, obfuscations—the action of making something obscure, unclear, or unintelligible—plague its claims on every hand. 

These disparities and oversights, along with the fact that the majority of the world's nearly three billion Christians (knowingly or unknowingly) subscribe to Amillennialism, means that we need to think about what suppositions and concepts comprise this idea and ask ourselves, How can we best bring what the New Testament says to the contrary to the attention of these Christians?

Third Edition

A Critical Overview of Systematized Obscurantism

ANNOTATED

by Mark Mountjoy

Introductory Remarks

The value of the New Testament stands or falls on the question of its verity: Is it a true and faithful report?  Is it inspired by the Holy Spirit of God? Or, is it a humanly devised contrivance?  Is it a catalog of calumniations against the Jewish people and fables and fantastic claims surrounding Jesus, an individual from Nazareth of Judæa?  If true, what general system of interpretation best represents how it makes sense in light of its culture, context and commitments? 

If untrue (or only partly true), what logic justifies accepting any of it as a reflection of the revealed will of God or an explanation of salvation or guide to ultimate questions of truth and eternal consequence?  Amillennialism is a systematic belief about Bible eschatology.  It wants to explain and deny what the New Testament says, all in one breath; Saying "Yes" and "No" on questions surrounding what the New Testament says about the Second Coming, it wants to have it both ways: It wants to accept Jesus, his deity, his cross, death, burial and resurrection, but it also wants to deny, equivocate, obfuscate and reinvent everything the New Testament says about his return, its context, proximity and implications! 

This essay will attempt to clarify how the Amillennial theory cherry-picks the Bible to establish itself (not the Word of God) as the authority unto whom Christians must be beholden.  However, at the same time, Amillennialism straightly holds what the New Testament plainly advocates to be off limits and verboten on pain of censor, interdiction¹and, in extreme cases, excommunication.