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Postmillennialism


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In some recent readings I've come across this several times and I must admit, I know very little about this.

Is anyone here a Postmillennialist of any kind (apparently there are more than one kind)?

I've read that many or most Christians until more modern times held to some form of this view, is that true?

In trying to look up information on this online I've not yet found anything definitive.

I'll post some of what one site had to say, but the article is based upon one persons personal study and journey so feel free to point where he is right or wrong and why. I've only read a portion so far, so I might read more before I post some so I will have read it at least once.

I saw a list of some supposedly known people who hold this view today, but I only recognized a couple names on the list but I'm not familiar with their work or teaching.

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!

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I read a book by Eroll Hulse entitled The Resoration of Israel, where he says he thinks he is a sort of Post Millenialist. He has a web site, http://www.errollhulse.com/ so you can ask him, perhaps.

In a book I was reading it gave a bibliography catagorised by the author's views. I noticed that Benjamin Wills Newton was listed as millenial, but the SGAT who promote him as their favourite author are pre millenial. I had their ÂĽly magazine for many years, and I never did find out what they believed, except they thought there was a gap in the 70 weeks of Daniel. They got quite upset when I cancelled their mag because I thought it taught pre trib rapture in one article. They asked where I read that but going through their mag I couln'd find the article. You could ask them, their site is here: http://www.sgat.org/about-us.html

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Postmillennialism (literally, “after the thousand years”) is the belief that Christ will physically return to the earth only after a non-literal millennium is completed. Postmillennialism is optimistic about the end times. Christ’s reign over the earth from heaven increases during the millennium, which is thought to be not a literal one thousand year period, but “a very long time.” Postmillennialism places the Church in a role of transforming whole social structures before the Second Coming and endeavoring to bring about a “Golden Age” of peace and prosperity with great advances in education, the arts, sciences and medicine.
All Christians must believe in the literal, physical return of Jesus Christ. Christians may differ in their opinions as to the nature of the millennium and the exact sequence of end times events without departing from biblical orthodoxy.
However, I believe that major problems have been caused by the most popular system: dispensational premillennialism. Ironically, I did not know anything of the postmillennial view until I became aware of the limitations of the dispensational paradigm. In searching for a view to replace dispensationalism, I found postmillennialism to be most convincing.

Dispensationalism is the idea that God has worked in different ways throughout history through different economies or dispensations. A dispensationalist makes a major division between the Covenants, God acting with wrath and vengeance in the Old Testament, and with love and grace in the New Testament. Dispensationalism teaches pre-tribulational rapture, divides the end times into several dispensations and teaches a conspiratorial view of history. Dispensationalism is the system devised by two men who wrote in the 1800s.
John Nelson Darby, an Irish priest (Anglican), organized a group called the Plymouth Brethren. Darby taught that the Second Coming of Christ was imminent. He rejected the creeds of the early church and believed that social reform is useless. Darby’s followers concentrated on saving men and women out of the world.
C.I. Scofield, a Texas pastor, popularized the teachings of J.N. Darby in a systematic theology known as dispensational premillennialism. C.I. Scofield first compiled his reference Bible as a teaching aid for missionaries. It soon became one of the most widely used tools for Bible study among entire denominations such as Southern Baptists and Disciples of Christ.
Despite the fact that many of the dispensationalists stressed personal holiness, the paradigm shift toward dispensational theology has paved the way for a greater evil, antinomianism, which means literally “anti-law.”

Antinomianism is an anti-law position which states correctly that man is saved by faith alone; but states incorrectly that since faith frees the Christian from the law, he no longer bound to obey the law. Antinomianism creates a system in which the laws of the Bible cannot apply to governing an individual or society. Dispensationalism promoted antinomian thinking by de-emphasizing the relationship of the Old Covenant law to the individual. In turn this led to a waned influence of Christians in society.
In my study of church history, I found that the great revivalists and reformers of past centuries were not dispensationalists. When I read Athanasius, Augustine, Luther, Calvin, Knox, Edwards, Whitefield and Wesley, I found to my surprise that none of them ever spoke of “the rapture.” This is because they were either postmillennialists, amillennialists or historical premillennialists. They put “the rapture” (a synonym for the resurrection) at the end of history. According to the prevailing view of most Christians in history, the resurrection will occur at the same time as the Second Coming of Jesus and the final judgment. Darby and Scofield were the first Christians in history to place the resurrection seven years prior to the Second Coming of Jesus to the earth. In doing so, they proposed two Second Comings.
In rejecting dispensationalism, I became a sort of an “ad hoc amillennialist.” I became interested in questions about the nature of the millennium itself. I soon found that I could fully work out a postmillennial view, one that stresses victory for the church in time and history. I found this view to be very exciting.
In answering questions about eschatology from a postmillennial view, first I must stress that there is a difference between millennial viewpoints and hermeneutics. The manner in which one interprets the Bible (hermeneutics) will have something to do with one’s millennial viewpoint. However, one can often arrive at very different conclusions about the millennium or the end-times using either a futurist, preterist, historicist or idealist approach to the Bible. The definitions of these hermeneutical approaches are as follows.

Futurism: This is the “end-times view.” Most of the prophecies of the Mount Olivet Discourse (Mat. 24) and the book of Revelation are yet to be fulfilled. The locust plagues of Revelation 9 might be interpreted to be Cobra helicopters, and the northern invader of Israel described in Ezekiel 38 might be the Soviet Union’s army.

Preterism: This is the “before-times view.” Most of the prophecies of the Mount Olivet Discourse (Mat. 24) and the book of Revelation were literally fulfilled by 70 A.D. The book of Revelation and the Olivet Discourse (Mat. 24) are thought to deal with the coming persecution of the church by Caesar Nero and the destruction of the Jewish Temple at Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

Historicism: This view states that the prophecies of the book of Revelation was fulfilled sometime in history, but not in the first century or in the future. The black plague of the Middle Ages might be interpreted to be one of the plagues brought by the four horsemen of Revelation 6. The pope at the time of Martin Luther is often thought to be the Beast of Revelation 13.

Idealism: This is also called the spiritualist approach. This view states that the prophecies of Revelation are not to be taken literally, but have a general symbolic application in all history. The heavenly battle of Revelation 12 is thought to describe the ongoing battle between good and evil in the spiritual realm.
My view differs from premillennialism and amillennialism in approach as well as in application. I will be describing a postmillennial view that is partially preterist. However, not all postmillenialists of history were preterists. Most have been historical postmillennialists.

  • Most postmillennialists are either preterists or historicists.
  • Most amillennialists are either idealists or historicists.
  • Most classical premillennialists are either historicist or futurist in their approach to Revelation.
  • All dispensational premillennialists put virtually every biblical prophecy about judgment in a “seven year tribulation” thought to be coming in the near future.

Most Christians today know less about their eschatology from a careful study of the Bible than they do from books such as The Late Great Planet Earth, the Left Behind series, and the wild conjecture of films such as The Omen, The Seventh Sign, and even an Arnold Schwarzenegger movie, The End of Days.

We have almost forgotten the postmillennial view of Bible prophecy which has had many adherents in church history. However, this historic view is being repopularized today by many well-known conservative Bible scholars, such as, Loraine Boettner, J. Marcellus Kik, R.J. Rushdoony, Ian Murray, Greg Bahnsen, Kenneth L. Gentry, R.C. Sproul, Dr. George Grant, to name just a few.
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I understand the postmil view became the natural consequence of the Reformation - the power of the Papacy (antichrist) was broken & the Gospel could progress through the earth. Nations became open to the true Gospel. Isaac Watts' Psalm 100 expresses this.

Sing to the Lord with joyful voice,
Let every land his name adore;
The British isles shall send the noise
Across the ocean to the shore.

Nations, attend before his throne
With solemn fear, with sacred joy;
Know that the Lord is God alone;
He can create and he destroy.

His sovereign power, without our aid,
Made us of clay and formed us men;
And when, like wand'ring sheep, we strayed,
He brought us to his fold again.

We are his people, we his care,
Our souls and all our mortal frame:
What lasting honors shall we rear,
Almighty Maker, to thy name?

We'll crowd thy gates with thankful songs,
High as the heav'ns our voices raise;
And earth with her ten thousand tongues
Shall fill thy courts with sounding praise.

Wide as the world is thy command,
Vast as eternity thy love!
Firm as a rock thy truth must stand,
When rolling years shall cease to move.

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It's been three days now so is it safe to conclude that there are no postmillenialists here? Is it safe to conclude that what I posted from the postmillenialists website is basically accurate?


I take a preterist amil position. I have debated with a preterist postmil who maintained that the church should be taking increasing responsibility for government, & implementing OT laws & punishments. As I said above, the Reformers could see themselves as beginning a millennium, but there hasn't been a lot of progress in the past 450 years. (Understatement!)

Actually, if you think about it, the futurist millennium is like the postmil, with Jesus & the saints ruling with a civil government over a subdued population, waiting for the consummation of a NH&NE after the final rebellion.
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Is Gary DeMarr and his crowd postmellinialists? They push the idea that Christians can take over, make the government Christian and make a great country.

I have read before of Christians that claim the world is getting better, heading towards the day when Christians will restore paradise and Jesus will return, based upon things like there being modern medicines, easier transportation, microwave ovens and that sort of thing.

To me, none of those advances have anything to do with when Christ will return and none of them show any signs of helping to bring about anything near paradise. Do these people realize how many are murdered in America each day?

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I take a preterist amil position. I have debated with a preterist postmil who maintained that the church should be taking increasing responsibility for government, & implementing OT laws & punishments. As I said above, the Reformers could see themselves as beginning a millennium, but there hasn't been a lot of progress in the past 450 years. (Understatement!)

Actually, if you think about it, the futurist millennium is like the postmil, with Jesus & the saints ruling with a civil government over a subdued population, waiting for the consummation of a NH&NE after the final rebellion.


Actually, I don't think the reformers did that. Rome, itself thought the millenium would end in AD 1,000, or at least made the most of the opportunity that it was a common belief, and got people to sign over their property to the priests and monks, but when they tried to get it back later, they found it had all been signed up, legally. Luther thought the millenium started with the completion of the book of Revelation about AD 100 and the coming of the Turk in 1,100 AD. he may have changed later as he developed his ideas as he studied the bible.
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In some recent readings I've come across this several times and I must admit, I know very little about this.

Is anyone here a Postmillennialist of any kind (apparently there are more than one kind)?

I've read that many or most Christians until more modern times held to some form of this view, is that true?

In trying to look up information on this online I've not yet found anything definitive.

I'll post some of what one site had to say, but the article is based upon one persons personal study and journey so feel free to point where he is right or wrong and why. I've only read a portion so far, so I might read more before I post some so I will have read it at least once.

I saw a list of some supposedly known people who hold this view today, but I only recognized a couple names on the list but I'm not familiar with their work or teaching.

Any help with this will be greatly appreciated. Thank you!


Postmillenialism was all the rage until WWI broke out. It basically teaches that the kingdom of Christ will be brought in to earth by the work of the church. With enough good works and the church getting everyone converted that Christ will return and take his place as king. Anyone who still believes in this should have his/her head checked. Edited by Wilchbla
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Postmillenialism was all the rage until WWI broke out. It basically teaches that the kingdom of Christ will be brought in to earth by the work of the church. With enough good works and the church getting everyone converted that Christ will return and take his place as king. Anyone who still believes in this should have his/her head checked.

That's the same teaching that filled New England and flamed the fans of war that led to the so-called American Civil War.

The song "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was written by one who believe in this cause. The song is about the idea of Lincoln and the Union ridding the nation of evil, bringing about paradise by their actions. In most cases where folks today thing the lyrics are referring to God, they are in fact referring to Lincoln as a modern (at that time) messiah figure doing the work of God in killing the wicked so "good" could be ushered in in preparation for them to establish paradise.

Most of those in New England pushing this were Unitarians, or their churches had been infected with this principle.

I don't see how any look at history from the time of the Apostles to today could be viewed as the world as a whole being won to Christ, evil being pushed back, any sort of paradise being in the making anywhere.

If one discounts worldly christians (meaning those who are Christian in name only, not born again in Christ), the number, or percentage of biblical Christians in the world has always been rather small and still is.
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That's the same teaching that filled New England and flamed the fans of war that led to the so-called American Civil War.

The song "Battle Hymn of the Republic" was written by one who believe in this cause. The song is about the idea of Lincoln and the Union ridding the nation of evil, bringing about paradise by their actions. In most cases where folks today thing the lyrics are referring to God, they are in fact referring to Lincoln as a modern (at that time) messiah figure doing the work of God in killing the wicked so "good" could be ushered in in preparation for them to establish paradise.

Most of those in New England pushing this were Unitarians, or their churches had been infected with this principle.

I don't see how any look at history from the time of the Apostles to today could be viewed as the world as a whole being won to Christ, evil being pushed back, any sort of paradise being in the making anywhere.

If one discounts worldly christians (meaning those who are Christian in name only, not born again in Christ), the number, or percentage of biblical Christians in the world has always been rather small and still is.


Actually, a lot of the great missionaries of the end of the 19th century were postmillenial and this probably was a driving force behind their efforts. You can catch a glimpse of it in a lot of the old hymns. For example in the hymn Lead on O King Eternal there's the stanza that says:

"by deeds of love and mercy,
the heavenly kingdom comes".

But, like I said, a century of World Wars put an end to that thinkly quickly. Edited by Wilchbla
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Actually, a lot of the great missionaries of the end of the 19th century were postmillenial and this probably was a driving force behind their efforts. You can catch a glimpse of it in a lot of the old hymns. For example in the hymn Lead on O King Eternal there's the stanza that says:

"by deeds of love and mercy,
the heavenly kingdom comes".

But, like I said, a century of World Wars put an end to that thinkly quickly.

It wasn't put to an end, just greatly diminished. Now it's making a comeback. Kind of like eugenics, which was a big deal in America, very popular and being pursued by various government agencies prior to WWII. After eugenics was so tied to nazism it fell out of favor in the US (ironically, the nazis modeled some of their eugincs programs after those in America!), until in recent years this too has bee making a comeback.

As Scripture says, there is nothing new under the sun!
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