Customer Reviews

Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

If you have never heard of Postmillennialism, you probablydon't want to read this book. Why? Because it's the most clear andconcise explanation available on the topic.

Mathison presents an exegetical and historical overview of the expectation of the Gospel in this age. Do the Scriptures indicate the demise of the Church or do they speak of the success of evangelism and the overpowering victory of the risen Christ?

You may disagree with some of the finer points depending on your current position...that's to be understood. But please investigate this matter from an author (Mathison) who advocates the Postmil point of view. If you've had enough of the "they say" method of scholarship, do get this book.

As a short appendix, Mathison also deals with the eschatological heresy which believes we are in the eternal state right now (hyper-preterism).

So, beware. This title does a great job at clearly explaining the Biblical portrait of the purpose of the Gospel.

This book is a great place to start an investigation into Postmillennial thinking...

Mr. Mathison's work is a breath of fresh air and a sigh of relief for the many perplexed minds today who have been bombarded with prophecies of a coming tribulation and Christianity's supposedly utter failure to convert the world in the face of a growing "Antichrist" power. After reading Mathison's book, it is easy to see why Postmillenialism gives the only correct view of God's plans and purposes as revealed in Scriptures.

Indeed, victory over sin and Satan and not the rise of evil and Antichrist, is the true message of the Bible. This theme fits remarkably well with the rest of Scripture and when viewed in this light, the many seemingly difficult passages suddenly fit together and the harmony between the various accounts in the old and new testaments render the entire Bible a very interesting, awe-inspiring story ever written.

Read this book. And then read Kenneth Gentry's "He Shall Have Dominion" and "Before Jerusalem Fell". Then you will have a complete dose of the Eschatology of Hope, and a renewed appetite for Bible reading.

I'm confident Mathison's work will have great positive impact on the thinking of many Christians as it attracts more and more people to its clear, logical and sensible arguments for an eschatology of hope.

POSTMILLENNIALISM: AN ESCHATOLOGY OF HOPE, published by a conservative Presbyterian group, advances a little known and radical thesis regarding the time of Christ's second coming. Postmillennialism teaches that Jesus will return AFTER the Christian Church has managed to convert the entire world to Christianity, and then the end will come. This eschatological theory is popular with conservative Calvinists and some Pentecostals. The book explains that man, redeemed in Christ, has the duty to live a Christian life on earth, and the "the millennium" mentioned in the Apocalypse/Book of Revelation is in fact already here, and it was inagurated at Christ's ascension into heaven (the Millennium is taken as a figurative, rather than literal concept). Postmillennialism is not to be confused with the two other views of the Second Coming: premillennialism/dispensationalism and amillennialism. Premillennialism is the belief that the Church will be raptured sometime into heaven before the rise of the anti-christ and the seven year tribulation. The millennium is after the second coming when Christ sets up an earthly kingdom before the final destrution of evil a thousand years later. Amillennialism teaches that there is no millennium, that Christ will return at an unknown point, with no rapture of the Church or literal thousand-year Messianic kingdom.

Postmillennialism bases its theories on the method of Biblical exgesis known as "covenant theology." Humanity's redemption is centered on the covenants God made with various figures throughout the Biblical narrative. Man in Eden was given the covenant of work to tend the Garden, Adam after the Fall recieved one of grace, Noah, Abraham, Moses David, and the New Covenant. In theory, all of these covenants are one, as opposed to dispensationalism, which teaches two different salvation plans for Christians and Jews.

POSTMILLENNIALISM also touches on the history of eschatology in the history of the Church, as taught by the Church Fathers and the creeds. They are a little vague, but the author takes them to mean that Christ will return when Christianity becomes the dominant religion all over the world. To justify further, a Biblical exgesis is presented, with emphasis on Revelation. Revelation is interpreted using the preterist theory--that it is a symbolic description of the destruction of Jerusalem at the hands of the Romans in AD 70. The great tribulation that Jesus refers to at the end of the Gospel of Matthew is the coming war in Judea, in which the Christians would flee Jerusalem before it was destroyed and thus escape slaughter ("the rapture"). The antichrist is the Roman Emperor Nero, whose name in Greek added up to 666, and was a notorious persecutor of Christians, possibly at the behest of his Jewish mistress, Poppea.

Overall, this is an interesting presentation of a dissident view of eschatology, differing from most Protestant, Catholic and Orthodox Christians. It impossible to tell whether the Church could ever be as powerful or as successful as the postmillennialist theorists posist, as traditional Christianity is on the decline in Western countries, but may rise in non-Western ones.

Until I undertook a study of Eschatology this past year, I was a Pre-Millennialist with a leaning towards a pre-trib rapture. However, this book presents a compelling case for Post-Millennialism. Mathison does a survey of the subject from Genesis through Revelation as well as a history of the church's view on the subject.

Mathison provides solid Biblical exegesis for his assertion of a post-millennial return of Christ. He deals with difficult passages and objections. If someone is wanting to understand post-Millennialism, this book is an outstanding resource.

Personally, I do not know if post-millennialism is right or not. But, I would rather live my life with the positive view of the expansion of the Kingdom of God in this world as opposed to the negative view of this world as held by Pre-Millennialists.

Although one could easily point to a number of books that handle invididual aspects of eschatological discussion more fully, I have not found any other book that succinctly covers the broad range of material that Mathison's does. In 250 pages he covers the exegetical basis for postmillenialism from both the Old and New Testaments, its place within Church history, its interaction with other doctrines of Christianity, and the objections to postmillenialism and the rebuttals to them. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to become more acquainted with the postmillenial viewpoint.

Mathison is one of the leading Postmillennial theologians of our day. Not quite as scholarly as a Gentry, or as theologically broad as a Sproul, but a great start for anyone looking into the basic tenants of a Postmillennial eschatology (along with J.J. Davis' book). After reading this, pick up Angels's In the Architecture by Canon Press. Absolutely the best thing out there on Postmillennialism.

Keith A. Mathison gives a cogent and concise understanding of the most misunderstood position in eschatology: postmillenialism. Long maligned as the belief of "social gospel" adherents and viewed with suspicion, Mathison strips away the myths and errors, and displays the biblical fidelity of the postmillenial understanding of Scripture. Whether answering arguments from the pre- and amillenial camps or dealing with common practical and biblical objections, Mathison gives an irenic and sound defense of postmillenialism. Don't understand postmillenialism? Read this book. Want to understand it better? Read this book. No one has any excuses for misrepresenting postmillenialism any longer.