Where Have the Postmillenialists Gone?

[heymikey80]

Would you consider Federal Vision to be one of those majors?

Not Federal Vision itself, no. Unfortunately I see a whole lot of Federal Vision ideas in Charles & A. Hodge, as well as a number of their predecessors. Not to mention, in Lutheran thought.

"as the bread is distributed to us by the hand, so the body of Christ is communicated to us in order that we may be made partakers of it. Though there should be nothing more, we have good cause to be satisfied, when we understand that Jesus Christ gives us in the Supper the proper substance of his body and blood, in order that we may possess it fully, and possessing it have part in all his blessings."

The only place I would consider its thought to be objected widely is in Baptist theology.

Still, I'd consider some of the Federal Visionists to be challenging the basis for some of those majors, just as I would consider some of the NPP-ists to be pressing against some of those majors. Frankly that's not unusual: a peek at Soteriology Forum would show people who are radically beyond the pale when it comes to the basic principles of Protestant soteriology -- yet they claim the name "Protestant" as well. Still, I don't see the PCA or the OPC declaring excommunicated the likes of say, Dillow or Geisler or a number of other people at variance with certain crucial aspects of salvation.

In point of fact the issue has to be considered -- because lack of consideration leads to lack of understanding. When the issue isn't accurately represented, too, the issue is distorted and leads in an equally untrue opposite.

And in point of fact I think the NPP has inadvertently provided quite a new arsenal against not only its own evangelical-diversity leanings -- but also against quite a number of versions of modern Christianity. Which is why I've posted in response to the conventional NPP interpretation this way. But of course, a great deal of the NPP has to be the historical situation, in order to make such a claim.

The song I thought of was "Where have all the cowboys gone?"

 

[JM]

I'm not sure about your neck of the woods but it seems the local Presbyterians in my area are Postmil.

Here is an excellent sermon by Silversides on Postmillennialism and Revelation 20.

Postmillennialism and Revelation 20 | SermonAudio.com

There exists a lot of overlap on Post and Amil.

 

[gord44]

Whenever I see this thread title that song by Paula Cole pops into my head....

Where have all the Cowboys gone..ooooooo......do do do.

 

[bcbsr]

It largely died out after WWII when people began to realize given all the atrocities, the earth has not experienced Christ's millenial kingdom yet. Prior to that was the church/state concept that the church's role was (much like the Islamic view today) to take over the state and rule on earth.

 

[bbbbbbb]

It largely died out after WWII when people began to realize given all the atrocities, the earth has not experienced Christ's millenial kingdom yet. Prior to that was the church/state concept that the church's role was (much like the Islamic view today) to take over the state and rule on earth.

Postmillenism in America was heavily stoked by the Abolitionist cause which resulted in the Civil War and that amazing Post-Mil hymn, "My Eyes Have Seen the Glory of the Coming of the Lord" which I find, strangely, in the hymnals used by Pre-Millenials churhces such as the Plymouth Brethren.

Following the Civil War and its aftermath in the economic depression beginning in 1873 and in 1893 Post-Millenialists determined that the Millenium might not have begun after all with the abolition of slavery and what was preventing it was the moral decadence stemming from the consumption of alcohol. So, the Prohibitionists picked up the banner and won the war with the passage of the 18th amendment to the Constitution. Reality sadly intervened in the form of WWI and the Roaring Twenties with its moral decadence. The Great Depression of the 1930's and the repeal of Prohibition by the 21st amendment really took the wind out of the sails of the PostMillenial movement. The final nail in the coffin came in the form of WWII. After that, the mainline denominations abandoned it entirely and the conservative denominations devolved into a strong Anti-Dispensational rant with no eschatology to speak of.

 

[twin1954]

Actually Postmil made a comeback in the 70's and 80's when Rushdooney became popular. I know of a few now who are Postmil. Ian Murrey's "A Puritan Hope" is an advocate of the Postmil view.

 

[phydaux]

It largely died out after WWII when people began to realize given all the atrocities, the earth has not experienced Christ's millenial kingdom yet. Prior to that was the church/state concept that the church's role was (much like the Islamic view today) to take over the state and rule on earth.

Most mainline Christian denominations (and I'm including Catholicism in that) are still firmly A-/Post-Mil. And I say that as a firm Pre-Mil believer.

And I tell you, after many years of only being exposed to the Pre- position, it came as quite a shock to me that the Pre-Mil position is the minority view among believers worldwide. Quite a shock indeed, I tell you.

While you can say that atrocities of WWII shook people's faith in the view that "every day, and in every way, things are getting better and better," I would say that foremost it is the reappearance of the nation Israel in 1948 that us Pre-Mil'ers point to as the sure and certain sign of Christ's physical return in glory and physical reign on earth from Jerusalem.

Prior to that it was a minor academic discussion. Today it's the fulfillment of scripture before our eyes.

 

[phydaux]

And WHAT Peter, Paul & Mary song?

 

[JM]

I see Postmil gaining ground due to the influence of the PuritanBoard and the resurgence of Reformed confessionalism among Baptists. Sam Waldron wrote a book on Postmil. Baptists seemed to really have been the biggest promoters of the view which lead to the modern mission movement.

 

[bbbbbbb]

I see Postmil gaining ground due to the influence of the PuritanBoard and the resurgence of Reformed confessionalism among Baptists. Sam Waldron wrote a book on Postmil. Baptists seemed to really have been the biggest promoters of the view which lead to the modern mission movement.

I tend to agree with you although from here I am seeing Preterism growing at a faster rate, which has left me puzzled because of its absurdity.

 

[JM]

I tend to agree with you although from here I am seeing Preterism growing at a faster rate, which has left me puzzled because of its absurdity.

Postmil and preterism seem to go hand in hand. Gentry is a big promoter in Reformed circles. I have to admit, some of the stuff I read in Postmil works well or better than the idealism of Dutch Amillennialism.

Yours in the Lord,

jm