This week, a member asked me to recommend books on Amillennialism and Postmillennialism. Before doing so, let me clarify what we’re talking about. Amillennialism and Postmillennialism are two different views related to how Christians interpret Revelation 20 in particular, as well as the Bible's wider teachings about the end times and the kingdom of God.
Amillennialism:
They believe the kingdom of God is already present in the world but in a spiritual sense. This means that when Jesus came to earth, he established his kingdom, and it continues through the church today.
Sees the “millennium” mentioned in Revelation as a symbolic period that represents the current church age, where Christ reigns in the hearts of believers by his Spirit.
Does not insist that prior to Christ’s return and final judgment, there will be a prolonged “golden age,” wherein the majority of the world is Christianized.
Postmillennialism:
They believe that before Jesus returns, the world will increasingly become more Christian and more righteous through the spread of the gospel and the influence of the church.
They expect a “golden age” or a long period of peace and prosperity where Christian values dominate society. This period is often associated with the "millennium" of Revelation 20.
In summary, the basic difference is that Amillennialists see Christ's kingdom as already here in a spiritual sense and does not insist on a future golden age before Jesus returns, while Postmillennialists believe the world will gradually improve and experience a long period of Christian dominance before Jesus comes back.
Recommended reading
Specifically on this subject:
Amillennial perspective — A Case for Amillennialism by Dr. Kim Riddlebarger (URC pastor).
Postmillennial perspective — Postmillennialism: An Eschatology of Hope by Keith A. Mathison.
Commentaries on the Book of Revelation as a whole:
Triumph of the Lamb by Dennis Johnson. It’s easy and edifying read, and a fair introduction to the book of Revelation.
A Shorter Commentary on Revelation by G.K. Beale. At more than 500 pages, it makes you wonder how much longer his original book was. But it succeeds in adding depth and nuance to one’s understanding of a challenging portion of Scripture.
Now, for my opinions…
If there is one lesson I have learned over many years of studying this subject, it is that no one can agree on how many n’s there are in millennialism (this Crosswalk article uses both versions to be safe). For our purposes, I’m on Team Two-N’s.
More seriously, I’ll begin by stating my pastoral conviction that the issue of amillennialism-versus-postmillennialism is not one which should divide congregations. Notably, our Three Forms of Unity do not explicitly endorse either position (though their reticence on this matter is typically understood to reflect amillennial leanings). The fact is, both sides long to serve Christ and eventually to behold him reigning visibly in glory.
That being said, my honest opinion is that postmillennialism is an error (not heresy) which arises from deficient hermeneutics coupled with misplaced expectations about God's plan for the church prior to Christ's return. If that judgment sounds harsh, my intention is to “speak the truth in love.” Nor am I alone in this estimation. The majority of Reformed and Presbyterian Christians, both past and present, have tended to hold an amillennial view of eschatology. In the United Reformed Churches, where I serve, nearly all pastors are amillennial—perhaps 95% of us. Of course, majorities aren’t always right; but when there is a strong consensus, especially among brothers with whom we otherwise tend to agree, it should make us pause to humbly consider how they reached their conclusion.
To be fair, postmillennialism once enjoyed wider acceptance than it does today. The 19th century is considered the heyday of the view. Its popularity during that period was bolstered by the global missionary movement, coupled with Western imperialism and, leading to apparent growth in Christianization and Westernization of areas formerly closed to the gospel. Two world wars and the rapid increase of secularization, however, contributed to a decline in adherence. Simply put, it grew harder to look at the world and say, “we’re almost there.” Yet even at its zenith, postmillennialism remained a minority view.
Lately, there has been a resurgence of interest in postmillennialism in some circles. I see it growing fastest among people with Baptist or Dispensational backgrounds. Some aspects of this belief are understandably attractive. For instance, if we grant that a seismic social transformation must occur prior to Jesus’ return, this might encourage Christians to take a more active role in shaping society according to biblical principles. This outlook resonates with those who believe we must engaging in politics, education, and cultural issues to bring about change. To be fair, Christians of every stripe ought to do all these things, simply because God commands us to love our neighbors in his name. But to postmillennial believers, it might be easier to see how our efforts contribute to the end goal of Christ’s glorious return.
On the other side, postmillennialists sometimes accuse their amillennial brethren of being pessimistic or complacent about Christ's kingdom. I would never describe my view as “pessimistic.” To the contrary, amillennialism affirms our faith that God’s kingdom will succeed according to plan. The difference is that we believe God’s plan involves two stages:
Stage 1 — Christ gathers the spiritual citizens of his heavenly kingdom to faith. He does so by means of his Spirit working through the evangelistic activities of the church. Meanwhile, Christ “binds” Satan from altogether thwarting our missionary task.
Stage 2 — Christ will consummate his kingdom visibly at his glorious return. At that time, he will judge the world, expel all enemies, and bestow the new creation upon his co-heirs.
Now, let’s build on this summary.
We are now in the first stage of Christ’s kingdom, which began at his incarnation by the Spirit in Mary’s womb. Hence the wise men asked, “Where is he who is born king?” In Luke 11:20, Jesus stated clearly that his reign has already begun:
"If I cast out devils by the finger of God, then the Kingdom of God has come near to you."
In other words, because Jesus had cast out demons, there should be no doubt about the inauguration of his kingdom having taken place. In that passage, Jesus compared his power over Satan to "bings the strong man and plundering his goods". Doubtless, the Lord’s depiction of himself “binding” the devil to rescue the elect has bearing on John’s vision in Revelation 20. There we behold Satan "bound" for a "thousand years." It seems sensible to interpret this later passage in light of Jesus’ earlier statements. For that reason, most Reformed Christians understand the “millenium” to refer symbolically to a lengthy period of time during which Christ prevents the devil from thwarting the church in her missionary task. The Greek phrase translated "1000 years" is best understood as a hyperbolic idiom, meaning that it emphasizes extent without specifying an exact length. It is similar, I suppose, to how one might say that a Lamborghini costs "a bajillion bucks." The idiom emphasizes vastness without necessarily intending a precise amount.
“Thy Kingdom is Come”
Presently, Christ exercising his kingly authority by sending his Spirit to gather spiritual citizens of the heavenly kingdom. He does so by converting the elect to faith, thereby delivering them from Satan’s domain. This is reflected in Colossains 1, when Paul declares that,
"[God] has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins."
Here, Christ’s redemptive kingdom is shown to exist in parallel with Satan’s sinful dominion over the world. Similarly, until Christ’s return, the kingdom of heaven exists alongside earthly civil governments and kingdoms. When Pilate asked Jesus whether he claimed civil authority, the Lord replied,
"My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world."
In this way, he indicated that his redemptive government is not exercised by means of temporal laws and power, but from within, by the Spirit. Compare Luke’s Gospel, which reads,
"Jesus was asked by the Pharisees when the Kingdom of God was coming, and He answered, “The Kingdom of God is not coming with things that can be observed; nor will they say, 'Look, here it is!' or 'There it is!' For, in fact, the Kingdom of God is among/within you” (Luke 17:20-21, NRSV).
Our newfound spiritual freedom enables us to submit to Jesus willingly in all things, as we “keep in step with the Spirit.” Paul emphasizes this aspect of the kingdom in Romans 14:17-22:
"the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men."
“Thy Kingdom shall Come”
So, how does the kingdom conclude? When Christ returns bodily, the second and final stage of his kingdom will commence. He will "cause every knee to bow, and every tongue to confess that Jesus is Lord" (Phil 2:10-11). His enemies will be "cast out of the kingdom." Those who are united with Christ, however, will inherit all things. Thus will Habakkuk's words be fully realized: "The earth shall be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, as the waters cover the sea" (2:14).
