Since postmillenarians believe that Jesus Christ returns after the millennial age, they do not face the serious problems associated with premillialism, namely, the presence of evil during the millennail age and the presence of resurrected and unresurrected individuals coexisting on earth after Christ's second advent. In this regard, postmillennialsim and amillenialism have much in common. But some important differences do remain.
The most serious interpretive problem associated with postmillennialsim has to to with the nature of the New Testament's expectation for the future. Does the New Testament anticipate a future golden age for Christ's kingdom in which the nations are effectively Christianized, resulting in economic, cultural, and religious advances unsurpassed in human history?
Or does the general eschatological expectation of the New Testament center in Christ's direct intervention to a wicked and unbelieving world like in the days of Noah (Matt 24:37-38)? Postmillenarians anticipate a positive answer to the former question, while amillenarians expect the latter.
When the debate is framed as a contrast between postmillennial optimism or amillennial pessimism, postmillennial criticisms often have great thetorical effectiveness, especially with optimistic Americans. But such criticism fails to take into account that amillenarians are optimistic about the kindom of God. It is the kingdoms of this world which give amillenarians pause. Defining this debate in terms of ethos (optimism versus pessimism) overlooks the complexity of the exegetical issues in view and the nature of New Testament eschatology.
New Testament writers do not anticipate a millennial age to dawn on the earth but instead anticipate an eschatological age to come in which the temporal gives way to the eternal, as sinful flesh gives way to resurrection life. Although the kingdom of God is a present reality through the reign of Christ and the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, the full realization of the blessings of the age to come is not a gradual or progressive process. The full realization of such blessings will be wrought by Jesus Christ at his second advent and not through a gradual eclipse of evil and the cessation of unbelief.
Yes, Satan is restrained throughout this present age through the preaching of the gospel. Yes, Christ's kingdom goes forth in power as men and women are transformed into the image of Christ, becoming salt and light, and therefore influencing the surrounding culture for Chrsit wherever they are. But here is no biblical evidence that the nations of the earth as a whole will become Christianized. In fact, just the opposite appears to be the case. After all, we read the great lament of our Lord, "When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on the earth?" (Luke 18:8). Indeed, the Bible teaches that Christ will judge the nations when he returns because of theri unbelief and hostility toward his kingdom (Matt 25:31-32; Rev 19:15; 20:11-12). It is hard to attribute this deplorable condition to a brief period of apostasy after Jesus Christ and his saints have ruled over these nations for a thousand years and, according to postmillennial expectations do not fit easily with the New Testament's emphasis on our Lord's return to judge the unbelieving world.
Postmillenarians must face other difficult problems as well. For one thing, if postmillennial expecations are correct, then when does the millennial age begin? If the millennium begins with the conversion of Israel and the Christianizing of the nations brought about by the binding of Satan, since obviously, Israel has not been converted and the nations of the earth have not been Christianized, we can only conclude that the millennial age has not yet commenced. Indeed, the nagging question remains, "If postmillenarians are correct about their millennial expectations, what does this say about the progress of the kingdom thus far?" Must we speak of the history of the church to date as an abject failure, although a golden age presumably lies ahead? Of course not. But this is the direction in which postmillennial expecations push us.
Anoter issue raised throughout the New Testament ist the expectaion - indeed the warning - that Christ's chruch will be a suffering church because heresy and false teaching will rise from within and because Christ's enemies will persecute his people from without. The New Testamt is replete with warnings about false gospels (Gal 1:6-9) and false apostles (2Cor 11:13-15). We are warned that perilous times will chracterize the last days when people love money, power, and pleasure (2Tim 3:1ff) more than the Savior. Does the New Testament teach that these things will cease once the millennial age begins? Or, rather, does the New Testament teach that Christians will face these things throughout the age until the return of our Lord? Postmillenarians believe the former, while amillenarians believe the latter.
Furthermore, what are we to make of the great theological paradox taught throughout the New Testament that it is in our own suffering and weakness that Christ's grace and power is magnified. In the critical millennial text, Revelation 20, John makes this very point. While the dragon makes war on the saints and appears to conquer them (Rev 13:7), those who refuse to worship him and are put to death because of their testimony for Jesus (Rev 20:4) are said to "come to life and reign with Christ for a thousand years." Satan cannot win. When he wages war on the saints and appears to have conquered them, he is actually being defeated. As John told us, those whom the serpent puts to death come to life and reign with Christ.
Therefore, postmillenarians are absolutely correct to be otpimistic about the triumph of Christ's kingdom and the influence of Christianity on the cultures of the world. But postmillenarians err when they attempt to locate the triumph of the kingdom in the Christianizing of the nations and the economic, cultural, and religious progress associated with an earthly millennium. Christ's kingdom is not of this world. But one day, John said, the kingdoms of this world will "become the kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ" (Rev 11:15). That day will come when Jesus christ returns but not before.
PS this is from Riddlebarger's book - my English is not that good
