I. Postmillennialism

 A. Main Features

  1. The present age will gradually merge into the millennial age, golden age of spiritual prosperity, evil reduced to negligible proportion
  2. Great tribulation of Mt 24 already past
  3. Limited manifestation of evil before Christ returns, but short and not harmful
  4. The reign of souls of the deceased believers with Christ heaven(Boettner), or believers now living on the earth(Kik)
  5. Binding Satan, still future(Norman Sheperd)
  6. Effectual evangelization of the world, nothing will be able to resist its onward march
  7. Universal extension of the Kingdom and the restoration of the world

B. Ground

  1. Great Commission, all authority given
  2. Parables of the Kingdom
  3. World becoming more Christian, 19C missionary success

 C. Weakness

  1. OT prophecies picture the final state of the redeemed community
  2. Great tribulation of Mt 24 and apostasy of 2Thess 2 not justified, Explicit denial passages: no faith Lk 18.8, rebellion 2Thess 2.3-4, no true piety 2Tim 3.1-5, persecution 2Tim 3.12-13, 4.3-4, immediately after the tribulation Mt 24.15-31
  3. Rev 20.1-6 is not golden age
  4. The continuing tension between two powers not justified, becoming more evil and secularized
  5. Romantic oversimplification of history, too optimistic, liberal option
  6. The earthly reign of Christ without his physical presence
  7. Incompatible with the warning to be awake

 

II. Amillennialism

  A. Main Features

  1. Realized millennium(Jay E. Adams)
  2. The present reign of the souls of the deceased believers with Christ in heaven(Rev 20.4-6)
  3. Binding of Satan(20.1-3) in effect during the entire period between the first and second comings, though ending shortly before Christ returns
  4. Resurrection: first spiritual, second physical

B. Grounds

  1. Whole Scripture and book in view, contextual interpretation of Rev 20, based on relatively clear eschatological passages
  2. Symbolic understanding because Rev is the genre of apocalypse.
  3. Inaugurated Kingdom, victorious Christ ruling his people, though fully consummated in the future
  4. The Return: a singly event, not two stages
  5. No harm from second death because believers do not die in the physical death, so eternally live.
  6. Souls, not bodies, disembodied intermediate state
  7. Parables of the Kingdom
  8. Strong church tradition since Augustine based on Mk 3.27
  9. Satan unable to deceive the nations, so highly successful evangelization. The binding already by Christ: Mk 3.27, Mt 12.28, Lk 10.18
  10. No optimism, so more credible

C. Weakness  

  1. Unprecedented political success after three centuries of persecution (premillennialism popular), assumed the first millennium, but later revised.
  2. Major exegetical problem: two resurrections. One resurrection based on Jn 5.28-29, Ac 24.15, but inconsistent interpretation of the same two ezesan in the same context. Ladd: ¡°we have lost control of exegesis.¡± Also, the problem on ¡°the rest of the dead¡±
  3. Prophecy occupies a much less importance, esp, OT prophecies
  4. Total removal does not fit the present world situation, still very strong, 1Pet 5.8, 2Cor 4.4, Eph 6.12, 1Jn 4.3, 5.19. Satan¡¯s continual activity
  5. Souls in heaven, but focused on the earth(Rev 20.1)
  6. Coexistence possible. Its denial simply fails to realize the deep-seated and highly irrational nature of sin.

 

III. Premillennialism

A. Main Features

  1. A number of events happen before Christ returns, upto the final tribulation
  2. After his return, the antichrist slain, vast Jewish conversion
  3. Still unbelieving nations on the earth
  4. Two resurrections

  B. Grounds

  1. Rev 19 second coming, so millennium is after it.
  2. Future reign: NT passages ¡°will reign¡±
  3. ezesan: two physical resurrections
  4. Rev 20 only, but progressive revelation, and specific description has priority
  5. OT prophecies (Is 11, 65, Ps 72, Zech 14) to be fulfilled on the earth

  C. Weakness

  1. Rev 20 not indisputable proof, nothing about the living saints
  2. Against the church tradition
  3. 1Cor 15.23-24 three stages of resurrections, but even here nothing about the resurrection of unbelievers, not necessarily a long interval of time
  4. Return to the earth when sin and death still exist would violate the finality of their glorification, anticlimax effect, why interim period of imperfection? Whay agonizing postponement of the final glory? Why delay? (Grenz answers: to show the beauty of God¡¯s wisdom in all social structures, vindicate his righteousness. God¡¯s good pleasure to unfold his purposes and reveal more and more of his glory over time. One final step in the progressive unfolding of the history of redemption.)
  5. No third age in the NT eschatology
  6. The Second Coming immediately followed by the Final Judgement(1Cor 4.5, 2Pet 3.10-13) and the cosmic dissolution, theological anomaly
  7. Conflict with the other eschatological passages

 

IV. Dispensational Premillennialism

  A. Main Features

  1. Absolute distinction between Israel and church and the Jewish supremacy
  2. Temple and animal sacrifice restored
  3. Jews rejected Kingdom postponed: parenthesis theory
  4. Literal interpretation of prophecy
  5. 7 years of the marriage feast of the Lamb and the Great Tribulation
  6. 4 resurrections
  7. 3 judgments
  8. Pre/Mid/Posttribulational theories. Gleason Archer suggested Dan 7.25, 9.27, 12.7.11, Rev 12.14 interruption for midtrib position. Erickson and Grenz favors posttrib position for it must be endured and overcome, guard or keep not mean taken out of.

  B. Grounds

  1. OT prophecies of golden age not fulfilled
  2. Fulfillment of the 70th week of Daniel¡¯s prophecy(9.24-27)

  C. Weakness

  1. Against the basic unity of Biblical revelation : several dispensations
  2. Separate purposes for Israel and church in error
  3. OT does not teach a future earthly millennial kingdom.
  4. The Bible does not teach a millennial restoration of the Jews to their land. Simply confused with their return from the Babylonian captivity
  5. The postponement of the Kingdom not supported by the Scripture. No rejection, no cross?
  6. Parenthesis theory not supported by the Scripture
  7. Conversion after the Return of Christ, no biblical basis.
  8. No secret coming(rapture, left behind)