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37 of 38 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Makes Postmillenialism viable and respectable,
This review is from: Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope (Paperback)
This book by Mathison is one of the better contemporary apologies for postmillenialism available. The book touches upon many aspects of the eschatology debate, and rightfully spends some time laying the groundwork for meaningful eschatology. The goal of this book is to demonstrate that postmillenialism is the eschatology that is the most faithful to the whole counsel of Scripture and that it is an end times view that has been held by several prominent evangelicals for centuries. To help demonstrate these things, Mathison spends a fair amount of time at the outset charting the historical progression of eschatological thought in the church as well as advocating a decidedly covenantal approach to biblical theology. Once this foundation is laid, he then proceeds to argue for a partial preterist postmillenialism. As one who picked up this book who was decidedly unimpressed with the respectability of postmillenialism, I thought that Mathison did a good job of demonstrating that postmillenialism is not a wishful thinking eschatology with no Biblical or theological rationale, but is in fact a very viable eschatological perspective that deserves serious attention and consideration. Among the strengths of the book are the myriad of issues covered, including a very timely critique of full preterism at the end, as well as a systematic approach to dealing with many relevant Scripture passages. But while Mathison's approach was very good, his execution could have been better in some areas, thus, the 4 star rating I'm giving the book. There were 2 main weaknesses in this book that should give readers pause before wholeheartedly subscribing to postmillenialism based solely on Mathison's work here. First, the broadness of Mathison's approach to Scripture is impressive, but his depth of exegesis isn't always so. In particular, his analysis of Revelation chapter 20 was quite weak, in my view. The basic problem that has long plagued both postmillenialism and amillenialism is in trying to justify their view that the 1,000 years described in Revelation 20 is an inter-advental period as opposed to a purely future event. Hoekema probably did the best job of arguing for this position, but I felt Mathison simply punted on the whole issue by insisting that the difficulty of the passage should not make it a primary proof text for any particular eschatological view. And while this is a view I sympathize with, the inability to offer a plausible alternative based upon exegesis of that passage is problematic. The second biggest weakness of this book is that Mathison regularly lumps both historic and dispensational premillenialism into one bucket. Mathison clearly knows the difference between the two, but by lumping historic premil into dispensationalism, it allowed Mathison to avoid having to deal with the most articulate modern advocate of historic premil, George Eldon Ladd. Throughout the book, and especially in Mathison's critique of premillenialism, I was waiting for Mathison to meaningfully interact with Ladd. But for the most part, he doesn't. This is problematic to say the least, since Mathison himself acknowledges Ladd as being the best defender of the historic premil view, but then doesn't interact with him hardly at all. So while this is a solid articulation of postmillenialism and voices many views and theological methods that I sympathize with, the book has enough substantive weaknesses in it to make less than a slam dunk case.
29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Postmillennial Truth,
By A Customer
This review is from: Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope (Paperback)
Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope is a carefully and logically outlined Scriptural argument for the eschatological position known as postmillennialism. This view teaches "that Christ will return to the earth after the Spirit-blessed Gospel has had overwhelming success in bringing the world to the adoption of Christianity." (Kenneth Gentry).At the beginning of the third millennium, this is a much needed antidote to the end times hysteria created by the dispensationalists who have foisted one failed prophecy after another on a gullible Christian populace for over 100 years. With the huge success of such Christian make-believe as the works of Hal Lindsey and the Left Behind series, it appears that postmillennialists have their work cut out for them. This book will be helpful in preparing them for that task. Part One of the book sets forth the author's basic presuppositions, definitions of important terms, and an explanation of the essential difference between covenant theology and dispensationalism. Part Two of Mathison's book is a brief overview of the eschatological positions held throughout church history. Beginning with the church fathers and continuing up to the present, the book provides a helpful historical context for the remaining discussion. Part Three is an exegetical study of Old Testament eschatology, and Part Four covers the New Testament. These six chapters are the heart of the book. Unlike many eschatology books which focus on several select Scriptural passages, this book provides a carefully argued study of the eschatological teaching of the whole Bible from Genesis to Revelation. Part Five includes chapters on the relationship between postmillennialism and other aspects of theology; critiques of amillennialism and premillennialism; and a summary of what postmillennialism is and what it isn't. The last mentioned chapter is especially helpful at overcoming some of the silly stereotypes and outright falsehoods that are often used as "arguments" against postmillennialism. Finally in Part Six, numerous biblical, theological, and practical objections to postmillennialism are dealt with. The book also includes three appendices. The first is a brief overview of the seventy weeks of Daniel 9. The second is an interesting discussion of I Thess. 4 and 5 and II Thess 1 and 2. The final appendix is a brief critique of the hyper-preterist heresy that is gaining recruits to help it in the latest of a long line of assaults upon Christian truth. The book includes a helpful list of books for further study, an exhaustive Scripture index, and it is well footnoted. I would recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in studying the subject of Christian eschatology.
18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The Gospel is Not as Weak as the Church is Making It.,
By
This review is from: Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope (Paperback)
Mathison has put in short form the wonderful truths of the Bible that Chilton in "Days of Vengeance" put into 700 pages. Mathison has, in short order, blown the dispensationalist out of any position of respectable Bible interpretation (as Chilton did in long order). No one who believes Jesus' promise that He will build His Church without the Enemy prevailing could reject this book. Only one that believes that God would break His promise to Abraham (to eventually give him descendants from every nation, tribe, tongue, people, and family by faith unto salvation, and that this would take place on earth in history by the Gospel of faith) would reject this book. The Bible is clear: God wins, the Church wins, the Gospel wins, the promise wins. But all other interpretations of Bible eschatology teach that God loses, Satan gets the most by billions upon billions, the Church loses and gets beat up, the promise fails, and the Gospel is a failure. Granted, dispensationalism is more sensational than post-millennialism; but then again, winning the majority of the world to Christ is incomparably more exciting than dispensationalism. Thank you, Mr. Mathison, for putting out such an easy-to-read volume that is so convincing without being argumentative. After you read this book, you'll be ready to move on to Chilton. And after reading either author, your excitement in doing the work of the Gospel will reach new heights, that is, if you believe the Gospel and the Church win.
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