Nice post Prof Heddle. Happy New Year and congrats on being back in a formal classroom.
Ed Yong | 01.06.04 - 5:50 pm | #

As an inaugurated millennialist, I found disingenuous your presentation that it is only postmillennialism that teaches Christ's return to a church victorious and that in all other millennial perspectives, Christ returns to a church on the runs. You may not agree with the kind of victory in which we believe, but there can be no mistaking that amillennialism teaches the church victorious (hence the perspective even being referred by the term nunc-millennialism).

According to my perspective, the church is very much victorious at Christ's return and has, in fact, been relishing its victory since Christ was first found absent the tomb. The apparent earthly results of this victory differ between our understandings to be certain, but I weary of the myth that postmillennialism is optimistic as compared to the pessimistic amillennialism. I believe that Christ is already victorious having established the kingdom in his resurrection. I believe that the purpose and victory of the church in expanding the kingdom through evangelism is assured. I believe that Satan is bound. I believe that the church even now reigns with Christ in the heavenly places. I believe that the end of suffering is hope. I believe that the consummation of the kingdom is imminent and that we who overcome to the end will rise in final victory with Christ while he judges the nations. Now I may be biased, but that doesn't strike me as too pessimistic. It doesn't sound like the church on the run either.

Granted there are differences. I don't see the sublimation of earthly culture as necessarily a kingdom goal. Characterize this as a lack of concern for the integrity of the worldly kingdom if you like, but don't characterize it as the church on the run from the world.
The Dane | Homepage | 01.07.04 - 2:46 am | #

I think the claim of a uniquely-optimistic view by postmillennialists is legitimate. An amillennialist (and amillennialism is a view I have great respect for) generally agrees with premillennialists that the world and the church (on earth)is in great decline, and amillennialists are just as adamant as premills that the postmillennial claim that Christianity will enjoy world-wide dominion are nonsense. Premills have their hope in an earthly millennium, and amills in the eternal state.

If, when you write:

I believe that the purpose and victory of the church in expanding the kingdom through evangelism is assured.

you mean a resounding success of the great commission before Christ’s Second Coming, as postmillennialism teaches, then you represent a minority position of amillennialism. In general, amills claim that the OT prophesies of all peoples bowing and worshipping God apply to the eternal state, not an earth still populated by normal humans. And amills and postmills look for very different populations in heaven: sparse (amills) and crowded (postmills). That in itself is a huge difference in their hopes and expectations.
David Heddle | Homepage | 01.07.04 - 5:52 am | #

did the flood wipe out the earth? were all the animals able to fit on that ark? how did the fresh water fish survive?
sidewinder | 07.12.04 - 2:50 pm | #