Vos on Scofield's "Chiliasm": Reckless Abuse of O.T. Exegesis

"Chiliasm (pre-millenarianism) has to its credit the astounding readiness it evinces of taking the O.T. Scriptures in a realistic manner, with simple faith, not asking whether the fulfillment of these things is even logically conceivable, offering as its sole basis the conviction that to God all things are possible. This attitude is of course, not attained except through a reckless abuse of the fundamental principles of O.T. exegesis, a perversion invading inevitably the precincts of N.T, exegesis likewise, heedless of the fact that already the O.T. itself points to the spiritualizing of most of the things in question. Apart from accidental features, and broadly speaking, Chiliasm is a daring literalizing and concretizing of the substance of ancient revelation." -- Geerhardus Vos, The Pauline Eschatology, p. 227

Note: what could be said of early 20th century chiliasm can be said of today's "literalism" in fundamentalism. One could easily switch "chiliasm" and "literalism" in the above quote. Literal interpretation understands the scriptures as literally true. Literalism understands the scriptures as truly literal. Vos goes on to suggest that Christ as the fulfillment of the Old Testament precludes the latter.