Postmillennialism and Jonathan Edwards / Joe Rigney & Doug Wilson

Bethlehem College and Seminary President Joe Rigney and Pastor Doug Wilson sit down to discuss Jonathan Edwards eschatology (Postmillennialism) through his sermon, God's End in Creation.

[jakeabbatacola]

Hats off to the interviewer. His questions and understanding of the topic were absolutely phenomenal.

[briancasey]

Since I became post millennial, rather than always feeling pressured to convert, convert, convert not knowing if there was any real fruit, I have devoted my missional work to discipling relationships, in this there is good fruit and can be seen. That is what the Apostles did and it works to build disciplined believers rather than feel good converts that are mostly fickle.

[jessiebland]

PostMil doctrine is the most encouraging teaching to me.

[GTWAL]

Not only is the postmillenial view biblical and rooted in preaching the word and showing people the word. But I believe that Christians who are regenerated ought to have that outlook on the world as we chase the kingdom of God. Im 19 years old and it's not a common view within my church.

[JimL]

I understand Postmil as stepping into a creek and the water covers your toes. Then you walk farther down the creek and it covers your ankles. Farther down and the water covers your knees, then waist and chest. Eventually the water is over your head and the knowledge of the Lord covers the earth as the waters cover the seas.

[mattorgan]

I am post mil. Thank you Doug. We are called to build the Kingdom. Get out there an fearlessly preach the gospel!

[scatoutdebutter]

"friends don't let friends imminentize their eschaton!" .... (has nothing to do with this video, but that quip has been bouncing in my head since I heard Pastor Wilson say it a few weeks ago.
I appreciate Doug Wilson's balanced treatment of the different views.

[kiebelemily]

To the Lord, 1, 000 years is a day and a day is a 1, 000 years! Only God can count the apples in a seed.

[beausutton]

What is this from? Would like to see all the lectures

[jkimnach]

Some of you might know my late father, Prof. Wilson Kimnach, who was the head of Yale Edwards Edition. He also specialized in deciphering Edward's handwriting.

[Tractorman-xjgt]

Question: When we read scripture, is the return of Jesus 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, or do we 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 Israel (Zech 12-14, Rev 19) ??

[russedav]

I wish I could remember where I heard this description, but someone once said that God himself leads the Christian straight and unerringly to heaven
(strait (=close, not broad, Matt 7) is the gate and narrow the way and few find it),
but the fallen world and even the remaining old nature is cyclical. Abiding in Christ and keeping our eyes on him by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone enables the straight and strait walk that overcomes the world.
John 16:33 These things have I spoken to you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye have tribulation; but be of good courage: I have overcome the world.

1John 4:4 Ye are of God, children, and have overcome them, because greater is he that is in you than he that is in the world.

1John 5:4-5 For all that has been begotten of God gets the victory over the world; and this is the victory which has gotten the victory over the world, our faith.  5  Who is he that gets the victory over the world, but he that believes that Jesus is the Son of God?

[ryangallmeier]

Jonathan Edwards (1703-1758), was an Historicist, who utilized the day=year principle for the "1, 260 days/42 months/'time, times, half a time'" prophecy, given 7x in Scripture. 

Notice what Edwards wrote concerning the 1, 260 YEARS of the reign of Antichrist, for example:

"It is certain that the twelve hundred and sixty days, or YEARS, which are so often in Scripture mentioned as the time of the continuance of Antichrist’s reign, did not commence before the year of Christ four hundred and seventy-nine".

Edwards rightly said that the 1, 260 YEARS did not begin until AFTER THE FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE!
In other words, Edwards was NOT a Preterist, nor a Futurist.  
He was a "great-grandson" of the Reformation of the 16th century.

Questions?
Let me know.

*Soli Deo Gloria*

[kiganfive]

Joe’s last question on the NT view of sanctification through suffering needs a more robust answer if Postmill ever expects to be taken seriously at this point. One of you all should take up the challenge and publish something more meaningful on it.

[libbydaddy]

James White is finally with you. (Didn't know if he was or wasn't at the time this vid made but if I'd had to guess, I'd have said he was post millenialist for some reason).

[joeradler]

1. Isn't Doug conflating the idea that life is getting easier on earth with the idea that the Lordship of Christ is the cause of the greater ease? I thought Post-Millenialism meant that life gets better BECAUSE of Jesus' reign, not simply because man uses his God-given gifts amd develops technology that helps himself.

2. Optimism vs Pessimism? Can't one be optimistic about this world getting better AND another be optimistic about the scrapping of the old junker and entry into a beautiful new world? Two optimistic approaches, just different anticipated ends.

3. By what measure is the modern church advancing -- numerically or spiritually -- (especially in the west) now more than it did in previous 500/1000/1500 year chunks? What is the evidence of that? Seems about even/steady to me, comparatively.

4. Just because life is getting easier (in some cultures) doesn't mean men are becoming less wicked. Indeed, people in easy cultures are falling away from the Lord into secularism in droves. And the 20th century has seen technological advancements used to kill and mame more humans than any time in prior history.

[laurenwinston]

I actually enjoy Doug Wilson’s content on his app and on YouTube but after listening recent views on his eschatology I am left perplexed by him. Are we not called to study and follow Gods word. I just don’t see how his view is supported in the word.

[davidcollins]

People say...”The church only grows under persecution.” REALLY? That is NOT a verse! Not one verse in the Bible says that! The church only grows when there is Repentance-Baptism-and Faith. (The whole book of ACTS)

[steffanrhoads]

They were fulfilling the commission; we were tickled by the false teaching of Darbyism and didn’t. The combination of dispensationalism and premillennialism are false teachings that would make Satan jealous!

[peterheroux]

I find it strange that some of his arguments for post mil are based on interpretation of a dental visit 100 years ago to a now, pain free dental appointment and base your eschatology on that instead of battling the the Book of Revelation re: the end times?! Hummm?