PMW 2023-045 by Kenneth L. Gentry, Jr.
This is part 2 in a three-part series on Postmillennialism and the Millennium. We are now at the place where we must define what we mean by “postmillennialism.”
So now: What is the postmillennial outlook? Why is it called post-millennial? And what are its expectations?
Postmillennialism teaches that Christ will return to earth after a long era of gospel progress and worldwide righteousness. As the gospel wins greater influence the world will witness a long era of social stability, economic development, and international peace. The basic structure of the postmillennial hope is as follows:
First, Christ came into the world in the first century and established his kingdom, the Messianic kingdom prophesied in the Old Testament. We are in that kingdom now (the “millennium,” if you will) (Luke 17:20–21; Col 1:13).
Second, he confronted and defeated Satan while on earth, through his ministry, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. Satan is bound from deceiving the nations, so that they are open to the power of the gospel (Matt 12:28–29; Rev 20:3).
Third, he gave the marching orders for his kingdom in the “Great Commission.” This commission is great because it is established on his grant of “all authority,” he command to “make disciples of all the nations,” his directive for us to teach the nations “all that I commanded you,” and his promise that “I am with you always, even to the end of the age” to get it done (Matt 28:18–20).
Fourth, he promised to bless his kingdom with growth, likening it to a mustard seed that begins incredibly small but results in a tree that dominates the garden; and comparing it to leaven that leavens the entire bushel (Matt 13:31–33).
Postmillennialism Made Easy (by Ken Gentry)
Basic introduction to postmillennialism. Presents the essence of the postmillennial argument and answers the leading objections. And all in a succinct, introductory fashion.
See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com
Fifth, the world will eventually be converted, becoming a “Christianized” world. At the height of Christ’s kingdom’s development the overwhelming majority of men will be born-again of God’s grace which will lead them a peaceable, worldwide kingdom (Isa 11:9; John 3:17).
Sixth, at the end of history after a long era of gospel victory, Christ will return bodily, visibly, and gloriously (Acts 1:9–11). He will raise the dead in a general resurrection (John 5:29; Acts 24:15) and will conduct the final judgment (Acts 17:31; Rom 2:5–6). He will then end world history and establish the consummate order resulting in a physical new creation (2 Pet 3:10–13).
Thus, postmillennialism teaches that Christ wins the victory in history, before he returns (hence, it is post-millennial). It offers believers the optimistic prospect of earthly victory and historical hope. In fact, postmillennialism is the only evangelical eschatological system that is historically optimistic. Of course, all evangelical systems are optimistic in believing that Christ ultimately wins the victory: premillennialists at his coming when he establishes the earthly millennium; amillennialists at his coming when he ends history by defeating Satan and setting up the eternal order.
But what I mean by claiming that postmillennialism is the only eschatological system that offers historical hope is: it is the only system offering hope within the continuous, unfolding history in which we presently live. It offers a distinctive hope in three important senses:
First, as systems of gospel proclamation, both amillennialists and premillennialists do not expect a majority influence for the gospel. Whereas postmillennialists believe that the gospel will win the victory in the historical program under which we now live.
Second, as systems of historical understanding, amillennialists and premillennialists expect that history will decline into irresistible chaos and upheaval. Whereas postmillennialists believe that history is moving toward a time of great righteousness and prosperity under the gospel.
Third as systems of evangelistic discipleship, postmillennialists train Christians for wide-scale, cultural, social, and political success in the world.
But now: why do we believe in large-scale historical progress? Obviously in one article I cannot cover the entire biblical argument. In fact, in my 600 page He Shall Have Dominion I even had to cut short the full argument. So I will only briefly highlight why we believe such. I will focus on one Old Testament prophecy, a few verses in Jesus’ teaching, and one important passage in Paul.
To be continued.
Standard Bearer: Festschrift for Greg Bahnsen (ed. by Steve Schlissel)
Includes two chapters by Gentry on Revelation and theonomy. Also chapters on apologetics, politics, ecclesiology, covenant, and more.
See more study materials at: www.KennethGentry.com
THE TWO AGES AND OLIVET (advertisement)
I am currently researching a study of the Two-Age structure of redemptive history. My starting point is based on the disciples’ questions to Jesus in Matthew 24:3. Much confusion reigns among those unacquainted with the Two-Age analysis of history, which was promoted by Jesus (Matt. 12:32; Mark 10:29-30) and by Paul (Gal. 1:4; Eph. 1:21). The Two Ages are not the old covenant and the new covenant, but world history since the fall and the consummate order following the Second Coming and the Final Judgment.
If you would like to support me in my research, I invite you to consider giving a tax-deductible contribution to my research and writing ministry: GoodBirth Ministries. Your help is much appreciated!
Would you say that the current cultural, social, and political decline that is apparent is a temporary setback for postmillennialism?
I would say that these issues are a setback for postmillennial-ISTS, but not postmillennial-ISM. By that I mean that the postmillennial system recognizes that there will be ups-and-downs in the progress of the gospel in history. But as postmillennial-ISTS, we should be disappointed that the gospel’s influence on the world is enduring an apparent setback. However, we must recognize that the situations such as we are experiencing today are under God’s governance and he often allows evil eruptions to enter the world in order to point men to the necessity of the gospel. God can use such to cause men in desperation to reach out to him. And they should serve as spurs to the righteous to re-double their own efforts.
With all respect, Dr. Gentry, should you be including in your definition of postmillennialism views which are not held by all postmillennialists? Many of us do not believe in your interpretation of Rev. 20:3. As you know, Puritan and Reformed Presbyterian postmillennialists generally hold that the binding of Satan and the millennium are yet future. David Silversides has a sermon that contends for this view.
Basically, there are two major forms of postmillennialism. The older form is the more Puritan view, that you hold. But postmillennialism today is held by many to be in contrast to the Puritan view of Revelation 20:3. The view that I hold is that promoted by J. Marcellus Kik, R. J. Rushdoony, Greg L. Bahnsen, David Chilton, and Keith Mathison.
As a matter of practice, it would be impossible to define postmillennialism which is held by each-and-every representative of the view. For we all have our differences on certain points and passages.
Hi Dr Gentry, all this sounds ideal and a great outcome for the world, but what about pollution and global warming? There is no solution long term, they will keep pumping out pollution just to make a living, mankind will be terminated long before Christ comes. It is already too late to stop it happening now. What about population explosion? If the world continued at it present rate, not only could the earth sustain the food production needed, which is in decline due to warming, but fresh clean water will be scarce. By the time Christ returns thousands of years from now,and conducts the resurrection, there will be too many people for a finite Earth. Then there is the morality of men in history, it has never got better but remains the same or gets worse as it is happening today. Presently the world has become insane, I am unable to mention what is happening by name as big brother will delete my comment. As a post Mel Christian i cannot get my head around what is happening. So I cannot see how Satan is bound, the nations are so so misled at the moment and have been in the past 2000 years and getting worse. I respectfully ask how you account for all of this?
IT IS OBVIOUS THAT YOU LACK UNDERSTANDING! YOUR VIEWS AND WRITINGS SHOW ME THAT YOU LACK THE INDWELLING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT! YOU ARE YET CARNAL! THE SCRIPTURES, WHICH YOU HAVE NO CLUE AS TO WHAT THEY MEAN ARE ONLY SPIRITUALLY DISCERNED! YOU NEED TO PRAY FOR ENLIGHTENMENT! YOU ASSUME THAT YOU HAVE BEEN BAPTIZED WITH THE HOLY SPIRIT, BUT YOUR WRITINGS SHOW THAT YOU HAVE NOT!
I am so grateful you’re going to be doing the study on the 2 age structure! Almost all of my postmill brothers in the faith hold to the 2 ages being that of the old covenant and new covenant, and it’s just not convincing to me at all after reading your work done on it. Not to mention the fact that this view eliminates the possibility of hyper preterism! So hopefully your work on this subject starts to gain more popularity in the postmill camp.
Thanks. I will get right on it!
I believe you have been confused by the liberal media and academia regarding global warming. I encourage you to look at a conservative analysis of the so-called crisis. A good place to start would be here: https://cornwallalliance.org/landmark-documents/
Thank you for your reply, I am post mel like you as it is the most accurate explanation of the Bible we have, yet some things still do not make sense. Even is global warming is not real and we took that out of the equation, it still does not make pollution go away and the earths population exponential population growth from the past to thousands of years into the future. Presently it will take 44 years to double and reach 13 Billion. If this goes on for thousands of years before Christ returns with dwindling food and water supplies combined with a finite planet, the outcome looks grim. Even if you took dwindling morals and the insanity going on with genders out of the equation, it does not take a hugely intelligent person to see that all nations today are totally misled. So, could I please humbly ask how post mels address all of these pressing issues? Secondly how to reconcile with scripture that Satan is bound and no longer misleading the nations?
You are assuming that the population will continue to grow. But the population could peak, then decline. https://www.garynorth.com/public/16484.cfm
This “problem” has been overblown for decades. See https://www.garynorth.com/public/8071.cfm
These issues that you say are a setback for postmillennial-ist are a setback for all of God’s people and the question is why are God’s people and the Christian worldview being effectively destroyed today?
Just believing things will get better (more Christian) over time will not tell us what we are doing wrong or what we ought to do now to stop the setback or decline.
Bill Iverson once told me he was a pan-millennial-its and believed everything will, in the fullness of time, pan out and it would be more productive if we spent more time as ambassadors for Christ calling the unregenerate people in the community to be reconciled to God than arguing with our brothers and sisters in the Lord about the millennium.
God clearly tells us that when His people are destroyed it is for “lack of knowledge” not because we have not been exposed to this knowledge (truth) but because we have rejected knowledge. And because we have rejected knowledge God will also reject us, that we shall be no priest to Him, seeing we have forgotten the law of our God. As a result, God will also forget our children.” Hosea 3:6
What knowledge are we currently rejecting and how have we forgotten the law of our God that is causing God’s people to be rejected by God and as a result be destroyed today?
Perhaps we ought to talk about how we have forgotten the law of our God and what knowledge we have been exposed to and rejected and correct our errors. I would think that would be a good first step in correcting the present setback in the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven and the post-millennial view.
Peace
True. But I was answering a question about how we could be postmillennial in our outlook with all the bad things going on.
If what I have written is true then I would like to know what you suggest postmillennial-ists are to do to combat all the bad things that are going on in the world besides arguing and defending the post-millennial view among ourselves.
What are God’s people doing or not doing today that is allowing the darkness in the world to gain so much ground?
What do God’s people need to repent of so that God heals our land?
How can we be good soldiers for Christ in this battle between darkness and light?
We can’t all do everything. I would check out Gary North, R. J. Rushdoony, Andrew Sandling, and George Grant for some practical things that can and must be done.
I have Gary North’s Tools of Dominion and Rushdoony’s The Book of Reconstruction.
But, I would like to know what you as a postmillennialist suggest God’s people ought to be doing today to come out and separate ourselves from the unregenerate people in the community and touch not the unclean thing in the world while still being “in” but not “of” the world and how what we do today as good soldiers for Christ fits into the overall postmillennial view of history.
It is reassuring as a soldier for Christ to war for King Jesus knowing that we will eventually be on the winning side, but if we also know or believe that ultimate victory will be many perhaps thousands of years in the future it would also be helpful to know God’s plan for us in this war and what we need to do or not do to survive and win the present battle(s) with darkness in which we find ourselves today.
I think it is clear that whatever our present battle plan is it is not working very well since we are being destroyed in some areas and losing ground on almost every other front of the battle between darkness and light.
You said that you expect setbacks from time to time. What I would like to discuss is what God would have His soldiers do to combat the setbacks and how what we do or don’t do fits into the postmillennial view of history.
Thanks for your work on postmillennialism and your willingness to respond to your reader’s comments and questions.
I agree that we can’t be on all fronts of the battle but we all are soldiers for Jesus Christ and we are to be “good” soldiers so we need to be trained to know how a good soldier combats the battles that we face today so as to put an early end to the present setback that we are experiencing.
You are correct that our present battle plan is not working very well right now. To me, this suggests that the church herself is in need of doctrinal teaching. Modern Christianity is more personal-practical in orientation rather than doctrinal. If we don’t know what God has taught and what he expects we will continue stumbling along in irrelevance. Thus, we need Reformation today: a turning to a deep study of the Bible so that God’s word can direct our paths. In Reformed circles we have the problem of the Two-Kingdoms theology that discourages us from actually engaging the cultural issues before us. Until we understand that the Bible expects of us, we won’t understand what we should do.
I agree that we need a “deep study of the Bible so that God’s word can direct our paths.” How about a deep study of the following:
“Now, therefore, ye are no more strangers and foreigners [sojourners], but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;…” Ephesians 2:19
There is clearly a change in “citizenship” taking place here. “For our conversation [citizenship] is in heaven, from which also we look for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ.” Philippians 3:20
After regeneration and conversion to Jesus Christ our status or standing changes and we are no longer strangers and foreigners in the Kingdom of Heaven but now we are fellow citizens with the saints and OF the household of God. Our “domicile” is now in God’s house in the Kingdom of Heaven and in the secular country in which we were planted we are now “sojourners” and “pilgrims.” In legal terms, we are now “transient foreigners.”
“Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the ‘sojourners’ scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.” 1 Peter 1:1
God’s people are also “ambassadors” for Christ to the pagan nations with the duty to call out God’s elect to be reconciled to God and transformed from a “natural man/natural person/human being” into a spiritual man of God.
We are now “of” the household of God.
Of – A term denoting that from which anything proceeds; indicating origin, source, descent, and the like. ASSOCIATED with or CONNECTED with usually in some causal relation [caused by regeneration by the Holy Spirit] material, formal or final. The word has been held equivalent to after; at, or BELONGING TO; in possession of, RESIDING AT. from. Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th. Edition.
God’s people “belong” to Him. We do not belong to a secular government. God is our Father and we are the “children of God.” Our domicile or one fixed and permanent home is in the city which hath foundations, whose builder and maker is God.”
“Therefore sprang there even of one, and him as good as dead, as many as the stars of the sky in multitude, and as the sand which is by the seashore innumerable. These all died in faith, not having received the promises but having seen them afar off, were persuaded of them, embraced them, and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For they that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country. And truly, if they had been mindful of that country from which they CAME OUT, they might have had the opportunity to return. But now they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly; wherefore, God is NOT ASHAMED to be CALLED THEIR GOD; for he hath prepared for them a city.” Hebrews. 11:8-16
How can God’s people have their citizenship in the Kingdom of Heaven and at the same time be “federal citizens” of the United States? Can God’s people pledge their absolute allegiance and fidelity to the federal government and to King Jesus at the same time? Can we serve two sovereigns or two masters?
Can ambassadors for Christ also be citizens in the secular country in which they are ambassadors?
Perhaps God’s people ought to “confess” to the civil or municipal government that their standing has changed and that they are now “transient foreigners” in the United States – i.e. “strangers and pilgrims on the earth.”
I doubt you will allow this comment to make it through moderation but please give what I have written some prayerful thought.
I don’t see what your concern is regarding the article to which it responds….
You said, “If we don’t know what God has taught and what He expects then we will keep stumbling along in irrelevance.”
I agree. If things will progressively get better in an ebb-and-flow manner over time and we are now losing ground my concern is that perhaps we don’t know what God has taught about our change of standing and what He expects of His people as strangers and foreigners on the earth.
Your suggestion that we need a deep study of the Bible should begin with the comprehensive nature of our change of standing that occurs when we are reconciled to God and how that changes our citizenship and our domicile as well as our purpose in life as ambassadors for King Jesus.
I am suggesting that we are not coming out of the secular system as we should. We claim to be citizens in the Kingdom of Heaven and strangers and pilgrims on the earth but we also claim to be citizens/members of the secular political community on the earth. Isn’t that evidence of being double-minded?
John Calvin writes that “there is no place for us among God’s children, except we RENOUNCE the world, and there will be for us no inheritance in heaven, except we become PILGRIMS on earth.”
Is your heart set on this world or on your heavenly citizenship? Wouldn’t renouncing the world include renouncing one’s citizenship in some secular country and living in exile as a stranger and pilgrim as did Abraham?
Perhaps our not CONFESSING our true status or standing and not “renouncing” secular citizenship and being members of a secular political community is what is holding back the advancement of the Kingdom of Heaven on earth. Perhaps if we like Abraham confessed that we are strangers and foreigners on the earth the postmillennial plan will back on track.
Remember, we are to endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ, no man entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier. 2 Tim. 2:3-4
Wouldn’t claiming allegiance to the federal government and voting for men to rule over us be entangling us with the affairs of this life?
I am not arguing against your postmillennial view. Someday we will know how it all works out. What I want to know is how I am to do battle with the powers of darkness as a good soldier for Christ today in order to get the postmillennial dream back on track.
Civil law is municipal law and municipal law does not pertain to strangers or transient foreigners.
Municipal law – That which PERTAINS SOLELY to the citizens and INHABITANTS of a state,…” Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th. Edition
Inhabitant – One who RESIDES actually and PERMANENTLY in a given place and has his DOMICILE there. Black’s Law Dictionary, 5th. Edition.
Our citizenship IS in the Kingdom of Heaven so we are not citizens of a state. We are strangers and pilgrims on the earth so we do NOT reside actually and permanently in a given place on the earth. We are members of the family of God not members of the SECULAR political community and our domicile IS now in the household of God in the Kingdom of Heaven.
I think we like Abraham ought to CONFESS to the civil authorities that we too are strangers and foreigners on the earth and as ambassadors for King Jesus, we are only occupying His earth and doing His work by calling out His elect from among the nations to be reconciled to God. Our earthly home is a Kingdom of Heaven embassy.
I know you have concentrated on promoting postmillennialism but we are all called to be ambassadors for Christ with the duty to call God’s elect to be reconciled to God.
Recognizing that we too are in exile is a way to describe where God’s people have their TRUE citizenship. The old covenant saints were exiles because they desired to live in the “better country” (v.16 Heb. 11) We live in exile only temporarily on the earth and are already restored to citizenship in the heavenly country through Jesus Christ in regeneration. We are to RENOUNCE our earthly citizenship while the unregenerate do not renounce their earthly citizenship.
God’s people must fully come out of the worldly system of government and live as strangers and foreigners on the earth until our Lord returns in all His glory.
We cannot claim dual citizenship because we cannot serve two sovereigns.
That is how I understand these passages and I just wanted to share my view with you on the importance of our confessing to being strangers and pilgrims on the earth as did Abraham and how this act alone might put us back on track in the advancement of His government and Kingdom.
Thank you for a place to share my thoughts on coming out and being separate and touching not the unclean thing and how that ties into the postmillennial view.
Actually my position is strangely committed to and supported by an indepth analysis of the flow of redemptive history as recorded in the Bible. I believe the postmillennial hope is the expectation of Scripture. My forthcoming Two-Ages book will demonstrate the significance of the transition of the ages begun with the resurrection/ascension of Christ, which provides us with a taste of the eternal world to come, though it awaits the second coming and final judgment to realize the new world in fullness.