PMT 2015-061 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.

Many Christians wrongly believe that postmillennialism implies the ultimate salvation of all men. Riddlebarger, for instance, speaks against postmillennialism: “Although the kingdom advances throughout this age, the final eschatological victory is won by Jesus Christ himself at his second coming (1 Cor. 15:54). Not before.” And of certain negative verses he comments that they “all speak of the present spiritual kingdom as finally consummated in ‘the age to come’ but not before.” [1] Reymond believes of the postmillennial vision that “the world of mankind of necessity must be brought eventually to a state of virtual moral perfection — the major contention of postmillennialism . . . a representation of world conditions at the time of Christ’s return which amillennialists reject.”

But postmillennialism does not claim that “final” eschatological victory comes before Christ returns. We do believe that because of the kingdom’s long-term expansion “the number finally of the lost in comparison with the whole number of the saved will be very inconsiderable.”[3] And that the redeemed “shall embrace the immensely greater part of the human race.” [4] That “ultimately the vast majority of the whole mass of humanity, including all generations, will be actually redeemed by Christ.” [5]

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Nor do we expect that at any given point in history all men will be born-again Christians. Brown comments: “Have we not evidence that during that bright period the world’s subjection to the scepter of Christ will not be quite absolute?” [6] Campbell writes that the phrase “Christianized world” certainly “does not mean that every living person will then be a Christian, or that every Christian will be a perfect Christian. It does surely mean that the righteous rule and authority of Christ the King will be recognized over all the earth.” Boettner observes only that “evil in all its many forms eventually will be reduced to negligible proportions, that Christian principles will be the rule, not the exception, and that Christ will return to a truly Christianized world.”

Though clearly expecting Christ’s dominion throughout the world, Scripture nevertheless teaches that a minority of the human race will not convert to Christ. Evidence for this exists in the events associated with Christ’s return, which include a brief rebellion, as indicated in 2 Thessalonians 1:7–10 and Revelation 20:7–9. We must always expect tares in the wheat field (Mt 13:39–43).

Some suggest, and I tend to agree, that Isaiah 19:18 symbolically implies a five-to-one ratio for Christians over non-Christians at the height of the millennial glory. [9] “In that day five cities in the land of Egypt will speak the language of Canaan and swear by the LORD of hosts; one will be called the City of Destruction.” To speak the language of God’s people seems to indicate salvation. Language plays an important role in Scripture: if it is the language of God’s people, it evidences his favor (Isa 19:18; 57:19; Zep 3:9); if not, it symbolizes his curse (Dt 28:49; Ps 81:5; 114:1; Jer 5:15; Eze 3:5–6).

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The progress of redemption not only grows imperceptibly, but oftentimes sporadically. Postmillennialists deny “that this current age will be a time of steady and upward growth.” Its historical progress is often intermittent, being intermingled with eras of divine pruning (Jn 15:5–6) in anticipating the final harvest. Such pruning is certainly true with Israel of the Old Testament (Isa 6:9–13). At one point God offers to do away with Israel and establish a new people from out of Moses himself (Ex 32:10). Of course, by the new covenant era, this has long been Israel’s experience (Mt 3:9–12; Ro 11:16–24). Such pruning can leave a region, once strongly influenced by Christianity, wholly without a Christian witness — for a time. It is like seed, which is planted and grows and produces other seed (Mt 13:3–9, 23). Thus, we can expect it to grow in certain areas and perhaps even to die, but eventually it will come back because the productivity of seed involves its death and renewal (Jn 12:24; 1Co 15:36). Ultimately, God gives the increase (1Co 3:6–7) when and where he pleases (cf. Isa 55:9–11; Jn 3:8).

Notes

1. Kim Riddlebarger, The Case for Amillennialism, 97, 99.
2. Robert Reymond, A New Systematic Theology,1036.
3. Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, 3:879–80.
4. B. B. Warfield, Biblical and Theological Studies, 349.
5. Robert L. Dabney, Lectures in Systematic Theology, 525.
6. David Brown, Christ’s Second Coming, 145
7. Campbell, Israel and the New Covenant, 298.
8. Boettner, Millennium, 14.
9. Dictionary of Premillennial Theology, 310.

Tagged: confusion over postmillennialism, Postmillennial universalism