The English word “eschatology” is a fairly late theological term, apparently not put into common use before the nineteenth century. Its first use, however, appears as far back as in Germany in 1644 in the last section of Philip Heinrich Friedlieb’s Dogmatics. That section was titled: Eschatologia seu Florilegium theolgicum exhibens locorum de moret, resurrectione [...]
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The second coming balances the theology of God in Scripture. This glorious doctrine not only finalizes Christ’s redemptive victory (pouring eternal glory on his redeeming love) and completes the plan of God (demonstrating divine wisdom in his creational plan). But it also provides us with a full-orbed doctrinal system balancing out majestic biblical truths. Were [...]
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The Cultural Mandate given to Adam and Eve at the beginning of the human race is a foundational feature of postmillennial eschatology. As the saying goes: Eschatology is assumed in Protology.” That is, the end is assumed in the beginning. In yesterday’s post, I showed how the Cultural Mandate supported the postmillennial scheme. Today I [...]
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While the New Testament speaks of Jew and Gentile uniting in one body — through converting to Christ— it also presents Israel’s judgment as a distinct people in the first century. This presents a problem for dispensationalism, which sees Israel as God’s ultimate people and her dominance as history’s ultimate goal. But Jesus is not [...]
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Warfield provides helpful insights into John’s teaching on the Antichrist: “he makes three declarations concerning Antichrist which appear to traverse its implications. He transposes Antichrist from the future to the present. He expands him from an individual to a multitude. He reduces him from a person to a heresy.” [1] These three observations undermine the [...]
Full Story »Amillennialist’s reject postmillennialism’s optimistic outlook on history. They even argue that postmillennialism allegedly discounts Christ’s present victory which has been in effect since the resurrection/ascension. Prof. Robert Strimple’s complaint in this direction is: “But what is the nature of Christ’s present kingdom. Because Gentry has defined the victory Christ seeks in the present age in [...]
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According to amillennial objectors, postmillennialism allegedly overlooks Christ’s present kingship. Prof. Robert Strimple quotes my definition of postmillennialism which observes that “increasing gospel success will gradually produce a time in history prior to Christ’s return in which faith, righteousness, peace, and prosperity will prevail in the affairs of people and of nations.” He responds by [...]
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Reformed amillennialists complain of an alleged failure of postmillennialists to understand various foundational features of biblical eschatology. This failure resulting from ignorance of biblical eschatology is supposedly inherent in the postmillennial system, the system held by such competent theologians as Jonathan Edwards, Archibald Alexander, Charles Hodge, Albert Barnes, David Brown, Patrick Fairbairn, J. A. Alexander, [...]
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One of the key arguments for postmillennialism is the Great Commission. This is not the only argument, mind you, but it is an excellent passage from which to present the postmillennial case. Unfortunately, amillennialists dismiss any optimistic argument from this passage. In fact, they have to — in order to remain amillennialists! But their replies [...]
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Amillennialists are fond of claiming the postmillennial argument is falsified by the New Testament evidence. For instance, after citing my definition of postmillennialism, Strimple states: “The New Testament, however, presents a different picture” (Strimple in Darrell L. Bock, ed., Three Views on the Millennium and Beyond [Zondervan, 1998], p. 60). A couple of paragraphs later [...]
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DISPENSATIONAL GAPS FOR FUN AND PROFITOne thing that I appreciate about dispensationalists is that they refreshingly admit when they are h...
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