Postmillennialism

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In Christian eschatology, postmillennialism is an interpretation of chapter 20 of the Book of Revelation which sees Christ's second coming as occurring after or post- the thousand year "millennium".

Although some postmillennialists hold to a literal millennium of 1,000 years, most postmillennialists see the thousand years more as a figurative term for a long period of time (similar in that respect to Amillennialism). Among those holding to a non-literal "millennium" it is usually understood to have already begun, which implies a less obvious and less dramatic kind of millennium than that typically envisioned by premillennialists, as well as a more unexpected return of Christ.

Postmillennialism also teaches that the forces of Satan will gradually be defeated by the expansion of the Kingdom of God throughout history up until the second coming of Christ. This belief that good will gradually triumph over evil has led proponents of postmillennialism to label themselves "optimillennialists" in contrast to "pessimillennial" Premillennialists and Amillennialists.

An important distinction should be made within Postmillennialism to distinguish between Revivalist Postmillennialism (also Pietistic Postmillennialism) and Reconstructionist Postmillennialism. Revivalist Postmillennialism does not involve a theocratic outlook on socio-political life in the way that Reconstructionist Postmillennialism does.

In the United States, the most prominent and organized forms of postmillennialism are based on Christian Reconstructionism and hold to Reconstructionist Postmillennialism (see Gary North, Kenneth Gentry, Greg Bahnsen). Christian Reconstructionism is closely linked to Theonomy which has its roots in Dominion Theology, a theocratic form of Dominionism.

Apart from other differences in detail, postmillennialists diverge as to the extent of the gospel's conquest. The majority of postmillennialists retain the notion of a final apostasy at the end of human history, presupposing the presence of a sufficient number of unsaved people on earth to mount the alleged rebellion. This postmillennial perspective essentially dovetails with the thinking of amillennial and premillennial schools of eschatology. There are a minority of postmillennial scholars, however, who discount the idea of a final apostasy, regarding the gospel conquest ignited by the Great Commission to be total and absolute, such that no unsaved individuals will remain after the Spirit has been fully poured out on all flesh. This minority school, promoted by Benjamin Breckenridge Warfield and supported by the pull-no-punches exegetical work of H.A.W. Meyer, has started to gain more ground, even altering the thinking of some postmillennialists previously in the majority camp, such as Loraine Boettner and R. J. Rushdoony. The appeal of the minority position, apart from its obvious gambit of taking key scriptures literally (John 12:32, Romans 11:25-26, Hebrews 10:13, Isaiah 2:4 and 9:7, etc.), was voiced by Boettner himself after his shift in position: the majority-form of postmillennialism lacks a capstone, which Warfield's version does not fail to provide. Warfield also linked his views to an unusual understanding of Matt. 5:18, premised on Meyer's exegesis of the same passage, which presupposed a global conquest of the gospel in order for the supposed prophecy in that verse to be realized, which inexorably leads to a literal fulfillment of the third petition of the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven." John Calvin's exposition of that part of the Lord's Prayer all but adopts the minority postmillennial position, but Calvin, and later Charles Haddon Spurgeon, were remarkably inconsistent on eschatological matters. Spurgeon delivered a sermon explicitly defending the form of absolute postmillennialism held by the minority camp today, but on other occasions he defended premillennialism. Moreover, given the nature of Warfield's views, Warfield disdained the now-entrenched millennial labels, preferring the term "eschatological universalism" for the brand of postmillennnialism now associated with his thinking. Warfield, like those who follow in his footsteps, did not seek to support his doctrine of cosmic eschatology from Revelation 20, treating that passage (following Kliefoth, Duesterdieck, and Milligan) as descriptive of the intermediate state and the contrast between church militant and triumphant. This tactic represented an abandonment of the Augustinian approach to the passage, ostensibly justified by a perceived advance in taking the Apocalypse's parallel passages to the little season of Satan more seriously (cf. Rev. 6:11 and 12:12; the parallel throne motif shared by Rev. 20 and Rev. 3:21 exhibits prima facie consistency with Warfield's approach).

Postmillennialism stands in contrast with Premillennialism and Amillennialism.

[edit] References

Mathison, Keith A. 1999. Postmillenialism. An Eschatology of Hope. Philipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing. (ISBN 0-87552-389-7) - Good one volume over-view of Postmillennialism. Written by a proponent.
Bock, Darrell. 1999. Three Views of the Millennium and Beyond. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing.
Boettner, Loraine. 1984. The Millennium. Philipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing. (ISBN 0-87552-113-4)
Gentry, Kenneth. 1992. He Shall Have Dominion: A Postmillennial Eschatology. Tyler, Tx: Institute For Christian Economics.
Gentry, Kenneth L. 2003. Thine is the Kingdom: A Study of the Postmillennial Hope. Vallecito, CA: Chalcedon Foundation.
Murray, Iain. 1971. The Puritan Hope: A Study in Revival and the Interpretation of Prophecy. London, UK: Banner of Truth Trust.
North, Gary. 1990. Millennialism and Social Theory. Tyler, Tx: Institute For Christian Economics.
Davis, John Jefferson. 1996. The Victory of Christ's Kingdom: An Introduction to Postmillennialism. Moscow, ID: Canon Press.
Bahnsen, Greg L. 1999. Victory in Jesus: The Bright Hope of Postmillennialism (ISBN 0-9678317-1-7) Texarkana, AR: Covenant Media Press.
Sproul, R. C. 1998. The Last Days According to Jesus (ISBN 0-8010-1171-X) Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books.
DeMar, Gary. 1999. Last Days Madness:Obsession of the Modern Church (ISBN 0-915815-35-4) Power Springs, GA: American Vision.
Bass, Ralph E., Jr. 2004. Back to the Future: A Study in the Book of Revelation (ISBN 0-9759547-0-9) Greenville, SC: Living Hope Press.