Great question.  The analogy of faith means that we interpret a difficult passage dealing with the millennium in Revelation 20:1-10, in light of clearer passages which teach that when Jesus returns he raises the dead (1 Corinthians 15:12-57; 1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11) judges the world (Matthew 25:31-46; Revelation 20:11-15), and renews all things (2 Peter 3:3-15).  Since these things are true (from “clear” texts) this means that when we look at Revelation 20, we already know that elsewhere Scripture teaches that when Jesus returns, all men and women are judged (this means there can be no people on earth in natural bodies to re-populate the earth, as taught in Luke 20:34-38), and that the earth and cosmos are completely renewed.  In the light of these clear texts, how can there be people on earth in natural bodies after Christ comes back (there can’t) and living on a half-way renewed earth (when Peter depicts the complete renewal of all things)?

5) The other concept we should address is the tension between ages of the "already" and the "not yet. " Especially for those not from a Reformed background, this can be a confusing concept. What are the two ages and how do they inform amillennial eschatology?

Understanding the two ages is essential to understanding the eschatology of the New Testament.  Neither Jesus or Paul are millennarians (“pre” or “post”).  Rather, they speak of things in terms of “this age” (always a reference to things temporal) and “the age to come” (always a reference to things eternal).  While I don’t have the space to unpack the biblical evidence here, I do deal with this extensively in both my books, A Case for Amillennialism, and The Man of Sin.  I think this is a huge point and exegetically fatal to all forms of millennialism.

The same holds true for the “already” and the “not yet.”  One example of this can be found in Ephesians 2, where Paul speaks of believers struggling in this age as already seated and raised with Christ in the heavenlies.  This means that I am to live my life now in light of that truth, because in one sense, I have already been raised with Christ and now I need to act like it.  The same holds true throughout Romans 8 (especially vv. 9-17).  We live in the already (that which Paul calls “this present evil age” in Galatians 1:4), but we do so in light of the not-yet (Ephesians 1:14).  This gives us an eternal perspective on our present suffering.

6) On page 82, you claim that "the age to come is already a present reality for believers in Jesus Christ." Given this belief, what does it mean for Christians to "live in light of two ages?"

As I mentioned above, this simply means that I am to live my life now in light of eternity.  By understanding the basic eschatology of the New Testament, we have the box top to the jig-saw puzzle, so to speak.  We are given the big picture.  God’s purposes will be realized.  My present sufferings do, in fact, make sense in light of my future glorification.  The world and the issues we face truly matter because this is the place where God is working out all of his eternal purposes.  As a Christian, I already know that the story has a great and happy ending.  Despite what happens all around me, I know who wins in the end, and that even now, I am raised with Christ and seated with him in the heavenlies. To live in light of the two eschatological ages is like putting a jig-saw puzzle together while being able to look closely at the box top.  The big picture helps us make sense of the details.

7) Your more recent book deals with a very specific aspect of eschatology: the Antichrist. When you signed my copy of The Man of Sin, you claimed "its not George Steinbrenner!" While I may beg to differ, I think it highlights an interesting issue... Why do you think Christians are so interested in identifying Antichrists all around us?

If there is a “baseball antichrist,” he’s more likely to be found in the commissioner’s office, or on the congressional panel investigating performance enhancing drugs, than in Tampa (where the Steinbrenners live).

In The Man of Sin, I set forth my case that Scripture points us in two directions here–heresy within the church (John’s epistles, 2 Thessalonians 2), and state-sponsored persecution of the church (Revelation).  In Revelation 13, for example, John is dealing with the manifestation of the beast in the days of imperial Rome, when Christian were persecuted for not worshiping the emperor because of their confession “Caesar is Lord.”  If it is true that in his first epistle and in the Book of Revelation that John is warning Christians throughout all ages that false teaching will be ever-present, and that the dragon will empower the beast (the state) to persecute the church, then we should expect to face difficult and perilous times.  In the light of the proceeding, then, of course, there is every temptation to identify who the next antichrist figure (heretic or persecutor) will be. 

On the one hand, this fear of internal enemies and potential “beasts” is healthy and normal.  Christians need to know that Satan will seek to destroy the church from within, as well as through external means, such as the persecution of the church by the state (or its leader).  We need to be on guard for such things.  But any attempt to identify such a current foe always needs to be conducted with a fair bit of restraint.  God has warned us not to set dates and how many times have we seen even the greatest of minds make the worst of mistakes in predicting the end.

We must never get into the business of reading the Bible through the lens of current events–as do so many of our contemporaries.  I am with Geerhardus Vos on this one.  We’ll know it when we see it.