Postmillennialism and the Coming Kingdom of Christ

The concept of the coming kingdom of Christ is a topic of ongoing debate among Christian traditions, with postmillennialism being one of the eschatological views that differ from premillennial and amillennial perspectives. Postmillennialism posits that Christ will return after a period of Christian prosperity and dominance, often referred to as the millennium ^[1].

Postmillennialism and its Scriptural Anchors

Postmillennialists base their view on various biblical passages that suggest a future era of peace and prosperity for the church. For instance, Matthew Henry interprets Mark 9:1 as predicting the coming of Christ's kingdom with power, which he understands as the establishment of the Christian church through the destruction of the Jewish polity ^[3]. Similarly, Adam Clarke on Luke 21:31 notes that after the destruction of the Jewish state, the doctrine of Christ crucified shall be preached everywhere and prevail ^[5].

Representative Theologians and Traditions

The postmillennial view has been supported by various theologians across different Christian traditions. John Calvin, a key figure in Reformed theology, rejected the idea of an earthly millennium, calling it a "fiction" and "too puerile to need or to deserve refutation" ^[7]. However, not all Reformed theologians share Calvin's dismissal of millennial ideas. The Old Princeton theologians, for example, discussed the millennium in the context of eschatology, with Charles Hodge arguing against the patristic doctrine of the millennium ^[6].

Alternative Eschatological Views

In contrast to postmillennialism, premillennialism asserts that Christ will return before the millennium, establishing a literal thousand-year reign on earth. This view is often associated with a more literal interpretation of Revelation 20:1-7. Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, representing a Presbyterian perspective, argue that the true Church shall be visible as a perfect and reigning Church when Christ shall be visibly manifested as her reigning Head ^[2].

Shared Ground and Diverging Hermeneutics

Despite the differences between postmillennialism and other eschatological views, all positions agree on the ultimate triumph of Christ's kingdom. The divergence lies in their hermeneutical approaches to biblical prophecy and their understanding of the nature of Christ's reign. Postmillennialists tend to interpret biblical prophecies about the kingdom as being fulfilled through the gradual growth of the church, while premillennialists and others may see these prophecies as being fulfilled in a more literal, future sense ^{[1, 4]}.

The historical context and prior doctrinal premises also play a significant role in shaping these eschatological views. The early church fathers, such as Tertullian, held various views on the millennium, reflecting the diversity of eschatological thought in the early Christian period ^[8]. The development of these views over time has been influenced by theological debates and the interpretation of key biblical passages.

The Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, an Anglican document, does not explicitly endorse postmillennialism but reflects a broader eschatological hope in the resurrection and the ultimate victory of Christ ^[9]. This hope is shared across Christian traditions, despite their differences on the specifics of the millennium.

Sources

Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Millennium — A thousand years; the name given to the era mentioned in Rev. 20:1-7. Some maintain that Christ will personally appear on earth for the purpose of establishing his kingdom at the beginning of this millennium. Those holding this view are usually called "millenarians." On the other hand, it is maintained, more in accordance with the teaching of Scripture, we think, that Christ's second advent will not be premillennial, and that the right conception of the prospects and destiny of his kingdom is that which is taught, e.g., in the parables of the leaven and ”
Colossians (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Colossians 3:4: Translate, "When Christ shall be manifested who is our life (Joh 11:25; Joh 14:6, Joh 14:19), then shall ye also with Him be manifested in glory" (Pe1 4:13). The spiritual life our souls have now in Him shall be extended to our bodies (Rom 8:11). then--and not till then. Those err who think to find a perfect Church before then. The true Church is now militant. Rome errs in trying to set up a Church now regnant and triumphant. The true Church shall be visible as a perfect and reigning Church, when Christ shall be visibly manifested as her reigning ”
Mark (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on Mark 9:1: Here is, I. A prediction of Christ's kingdom now near approaching, Mar 9:1. That which is foretold, is, 1. That the kingdom of God would come, and would come so as to be seen: the kingdom of the Messiah shall be set up in the world by the utter destruction of the Jewish polity, which stood in the way of it; this was the restoring of the kingdom of God among men, which had been in a manner lost by the woeful degeneracy both of Jews and Gentiles. 2. That it would come with power, so as to make its own way, and bear down the opposition that was given to it. It came with”
Mark (Protestant academic) “Tyndale House on Mark 1:15: 1:15 Jesus’ preaching is summarized by his announcement that the Kingdom of God had come, and that people needed to repent and believe the Good News about the Messiah (1:1). • The Kingdom of God is not tied to a territory; it dynamically began in Jesus’ person and extended to his followers. • In response to the arrival of God’s Kingdom, people are called to repent (to turn from sin and yield to God) and to have faith in God’s Good News. In Jesus’ time, the Good News was the arrival of God’s reign through the Messiah. For Mark’s later audience, it was the news of Jes”
Luke (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Luke 21:31: The kingdom of God is nigh at hand - After the destruction of the Jewish state, the doctrine of Christ crucified shall be preached every where, and every where prevail.”
CCEL (Reformed (Old Princeton)) “Charles Hodge, Systematic Theology, Vol. 3, section 95: great advance on the present state of the Church; but, exalt it as you may, it is far below heaven. This argument bears, at least, against the patristic doctrine of the millennium. 6. The view presented by pre-millennarians of the kingdom of Christ on earth is, in many respects, inconsistent with the Scriptural account of its nature. ( a .) It is to be a worldly kingdom. ( b .) Its blessedness is to consist largely in worldly prosperity. Although the modern advocates of the doctrine have eliminated the grosser elements included in the the”
CCEL (Reformed) “John Calvin, Institutes of the Christian Religion, section 80: Martyr, and Tertullian (all from the second century). But by the time of Luther and Calvin, the leading theologians (both Roman Catholic and Protestant) had rejected the doctrine of an earthly millennium. Calvin calls it a “fiction,” and says that it is “too puerile to need or to deserve refutation.” arose, who limited the reign of Christ to a thousand years. This fiction is too puerile to need or to deserve refutation. Nor do they receive any countenance from the Apocalypse, from which it is known that they extracted a gloss for t”
Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 4: Tertullian IV, Minucius Felix, Commodian, Origen — CHAP. LXXVIII. (part 3): predicted the advent of Christ. But as this Jew of Celsus, after being thus introduced, asserting that these things were indeed in conformity with his own law, has somewhere here ended his discourse, with a mention of other matters not worthy of remembrance, I too shall here terminate this second book of my answer to his treatise. But if God permit, and the power of Christ abide in my soul, I shall endeavour in the third book to deal with the subsequent statements of Celsus.”
Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican) “Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion (Anglican, 1571), A Litany of the Resurrection: A Litany of the Resurrection Alternative Prayers of Intercession An Alternative Form of the Decision An Alternative Profession of Faith Baptism and Confirmation apart from a Celebration of Holy Communion Baptism and Confirmation within a Celebration of Holy Communion Baptism apart from a Celebration of Holy Communion Baptism at Morning or Evening Prayer Baptism at a Service of the Word Baptism within a Celebration of Holy Communion Bible Readings and Psalms Canticles in Procession to the Font Celebration of Baptis”

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