End Times - Part 2

Or..."Why I am an Amillennialist, Not a Postmillennialist." I suppose I should preface this post with the declaration that I have never done an in depth study of postmillennialism, so my knowledge of that view is limited to portions of books and study notes. (And this is a very basic presentation of the amill position - no literal one thousand year reign.)

Kenneth L. Gentry explains the amillennialist position this way:

1. The church age is the kingdom era prophesied in the Old Testament, as the New Testament church becomes the Israel of God.
2. Satan was bound during Jesus' earthly ministry, restraining him while the gospel is being preached in the world.
3. Insofar as Christ presently rules in the hearts of believers, they will have some influence on culture while living out their faith.
4. Toward the end evil's growth will accelerate, culminating in the great tribulation and a a personal antichrist.
5. "Christ will return to end history, resurrect and judge all men, and establish the eternal order. The eternal destiny of the redeemed may be either in heaven or in a totally renovated new earth." (Sproul,The Last Days According to Jesus, p.196)

While the amill and postmill positions have many points of agreement, one difference is how they view the Great Commission. "The thing that distinguishes the biblical postmillennialist, then, from amillennialist and premillennialists is his belief that the Scripture teaches the success of the great commission in this age of the church. This expectation includes the virtual Christianization of the nations." (ibid, p. 200) Rather than believing the world will experience an age of righteousness and prosperity as gospel goes forth and the Church disciples the nations, I believe the gospel will continue to be preached to the ends of the earth, but that preaching of the gospel will not succeed in discipling the nations. As someone else put it, there will continue to be a parallel development of good and evil until Christ returns. Call it the "realists' view," if you like. So, there you have it, and now let the "chewing up and spitting out" begin. ;)