What Is Postmillennialism?

Optimistic eschatology is not new. It was held by Athanauis, Augustine, almost all of the Puritans, Jonathan Edwards, John Owen, Charles Hodge, BB Warfield, and modern theologians like Doug Wilson, James White, Dr. Keith Matthison, Dr. Ken Gentry, Gary Demar, and Jeff Durbin. Historically, this “Jesus will come back in my lifetime” attitude was typically reserved for theological outcasts. Think about the church cathedrals of Europe. They took hundreds of years to build. They were futuristic and multi-generational thinkers. Look at us, our church buildings are designed to fall apart and many of our worship songs are centered on escaping the world rather than redeeming it by filling it with Christians through pregnancy and preaching.

Psalms 72:7-9, 11
“In his days may the righteous flourish, And abundance of peace till the moon is no more. May he also rule from sea to sea And from the River to the ends of the earth. Let the nomads of the desert bow before him, And his enemies lick the dust. And let all kings bow down before him, All nations serve him.”

1 John 5:4
“For whatever is born of God overcomes the world; and this is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.”

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[MB-qrxv]

A problem with the Post millennial view is that they believe Christ is ruling NOW. But Revelation 11 has the two witnesses being killed and then raised to life after three and a half days. And it says their enemies will SEE them ascend into Heaven. Then you have a great earthquake in Jerusalem that kills 7000 people. Then the seventh trumpet sounds and NOW it says, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!” (notice the kingdoms of the world don't become the kingdoms of our Lord and His Christ UNTIL the seventh trumpet is sounded. Surely you don't think the 7th trumpet is at the very beginning of this spiritual millennial reign?") 16 And the twenty-four elders who sat before God on their thrones fell on their faces and worshiped God, 17 saying: “We give You thanks, O Lord God Almighty, The One who is and who was and who is to come, Because You have taken Your great power and reigned. The nations were angry, and Your wrath has come, And the time of the dead, that they should be judged, And that You should reward Your servants the prophets and the saints, And those who fear Your name, small and great, And should destroy those who destroy the earth.”

This says the time of Judgment has come for the wicked and the time of reward for the prophets and the saints. I'm sorry, all this has NOT happened even yet, let alone in the first century.

[greekgod]

I deeply appreciate such a well defined explanation of the post millennial viewpoint in this it is not scriptural at all, in fact it's delusional to think the world is getting better and better

[WLai-xmhh]

Defeat is for the ones without Christ. Victory is for the ones born again through faith in Christ.
So, premils aren't pessimistic at all about the ones belonging to the Kingdom. But are worried for the ones who has not put their trust in Christ.
His kingdom is not of this world.

Whichever mill you are, live out the gospel, preach to unbelievers and expect the return of our Lord anytime.

[annalee]

Postmillennialist Hermeneutic is like this 1 + 0 = 10 instead of 1. They are so
convinced they have the superior revelations they can't see the simple truth.

[Tractorman-xjgt]

When we read scripture, the return of Jesus is nowhere described as a peaceful event where Jesus is welcomed back to Earth to conduct the Final Judgment and usher in the eternal state by a mostly "Christianized" world. We instead read of the return of Jesus as a violent and bloody event where the Son of God goes to war against His enemies and includes the rescue of the remnant of believing national Israel (Zech 12-14, Rev 19). Thanks though for your very accurate description of Postmillennialism.

[NurseChapel_NCC]

What I find interesting about this view is that it has exposed within me how pessimistic and depressed I feel in viewing the future. Why bring children into such a dark world? Why bother hoping for a better life? Why not just pray for Jesus to come and rescue me and my loved ones? When I think of it this way, I see only darkness ahead. I will obey the Lord no matter what. However, hope for believers means hope in Gods kingdom. His kingdom is here as it is heaven, No?

[Endtimespostmill]

Thank you! It is so good hearing from another Postmillennialist. We are rare these days.

[lmorter]

The Kingdom is being expanded for sure but it is not of this world, it is within us. I don't see anywhere in scripture where believers are told to physically take over the world so that Jesus can return. Scripture says that Jesus will return to establish it physically on earth.

[brittneyrussell]

I have a premillennial view and am not pessimistic about it at all. The scripture is full of verses stating how bad things will be before the rapture, how can these be ignored? Despite this, my view is quite positive, actually. I know that all who God has called before the beginning of the world will be saved, none will be lost. The world will continue on its satanic way and the church will be strengthened and grow according to His will.

[zachhiebert]

As I'm studying post-millenniumism I'm finding it more and more convincing in the scriptures although I still wrestle back and forth with the practical implications surrounding church and state. On one hand, I think it makes perfect sense that if God defines justice, the church would mix in with the government bringing justice to society from God's definition. On the other hand, I look into history and see the mistakes of that kind of thinking when heresy becomes a crime worth killing like in the inquisitions or crusades and many more atrocities committed by the power of the church in government. At some point you stop in history and ask, how did the church go from being the persecuted to the persecuturs? My ancestors, the Mennonites realized the oppressive grip of the church and became revolutionary in advocating for a separation of church and state. But I suppose you could look at the history of the church and say that for all of its sins committed in power, it did far more good for humanity overall than evil, you can even take an event like colonialism in Mexico and either look at it from the perspective of evil done towards the natives and diseases spread, or rescuing cultures from barbaric human sacrifice and teaching that everyone was made in the image of God and should be treated with justice and dignity. The Bible very much teaches that we are made in God's image, so it's very perplexing when injustices are done in the name of the church backed by its political power. However, I would say that it's because I think justice is important that I would lean towards post-millenniumism, not in spite of it. A great example of this is how many of the Christians who led the movement to abolish slavery had a post-millennialist mindset, that they weren't cynical about the world and that they would care for the least of these and bring in God's justice. So the question becomes how do we continue to spread Christianity and redeem the world without falling into the flesh and becoming the spreaders of injustice? I think the world of politics in the West today shows how far we are from a holy version of it and although one side might seem better, it still has plenty of sin in it. Perhaps the church doesn't need politics, at least for now, perhaps the power of God's justice and gospel from the church can be so powerful that its fruits naturally impact the betterment of society without political power. These I think are challenging things to think about, I'm very curious to know other people's opinions, so please let me know.

[kennalugon]

A primer documentary for Postmill found in youtube: "On earth as it is in Heaven"

Thank me later

[Andrew-dcnl]

The ultra orthodox position of postmillennialism has completely white-pilled me.

[RobertEMason]

This belief works only if you ignore the many, many examples in the Word which clearly say in the last days men will wax more wicked and we are admonished to work while it is light because darkness is coming when no one can work. Your optimism places a huge focus on your accomplishments of you and other men rather than on what Jesus did. You can believe what you want, but I'd encourage you to look and see we are in the days like it was in Noah's time and in the days like unto Sodom and Gomorrah.

[erinsmart]

The more I listen to postmillennialists, the more convinced I become that the view is unbiblical.

[lindaw]

That was explained well, thank you. Now I understand it better.

[JerseyGurlLife]

What are your thoughts on what’s happening in Isreal in the “postmillennial” world???

[jonathansmith]

We are most certainly not in the millennial period described in OT, and if you think 31% of the earth's populace are genuine born-again believers then I am Mickey Mouse.

[beckprice]

I’ve never had an understanding that the Bible says that Christianity, or the amount of believers, would diminish except for a great apostasy. I’ve always seen in scripture a great conflict of the world against those who belong to Jesus. Both would increase, be filled; the cup of wrath and the cup of righteousness.

I’m thinking also of the parables of the wheat and the tares and the parable of the fishes in the net. It’s says that in the last days there would be like a sorting through. The angels will pick out the tares (in the one parable) and put them in the fire. There is not exactly a “diminishing” of the wheat, but there is a conflict. Jesus promised that we would have persecution before he comes back.

A question I have also is, where in the Bible does the Lord command us to take over social spheres like many post mil’s believe? It doesn’t, as far as I can see. Wouldn’t that be an important thing to put in The Bible? Or did the Lord leave it up to us to figure out the strategy and come up with our own ideas. Did Jesus ever say that the church would hand over the kingdoms to It doesn’t. But I would be willing to hear the other perspective on these questions.

[IAmNotAshamedOfTheGospel]

I’m not convinced at all by post millennialism

[dr.byronloyd]

Excellent presentation. I want MORE! Thank you! As I have heard it said, "Christians today have more faith in the rapture than they do in the power of the Gospel to change the world."