Why Do I Believe in Postmillennialism Part 2 of 3

In the last article, we discussed the different camps of eschatology (study of last things) and then introduced the Kingdom of God and that Jesus is truly reigning right now, not just in a distant future or in a sense of “already but not yet.” But let’s unpack all of that a little more. What would it look like for Jesus to be reigning right now? What does His kingdom look like right now? What’s the progress of the Kingdom look like? Let’s unpack that more in this article entitled Why Do I Believe in Postmillennialism Part 2 of 3.

Now, as we’ve seen in the last article, I’m going to continue on this presupposition that Jesus is truly reigning right now in the world and in the hearts of His people. If you need a refresher, go back and read about that. This is now the operating premise I’m working with. So if Jesus is ruling and reigning right now, then why isn’t everything completely peachy? Why don’t we have the streets of gold and mansions in the sky? Perhaps it’s because we’ve failed to understand the nature of His Kingdom, as even Jesus says that His kingdom is not a normal kingdom of this world (John 18:36).

The Tale of Two Kingdoms

In the outset of the bible, we see this concept of two kingdoms. After the fall of mankind and after their rebellion, God pronounces judgment on mankind and the serpent. Let’s look at the promise of judgment for the serpent. Genesis 3:15 ESV (text added in parentheses):

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise (or crush in the Hebrew) your head, and you shall bruise his heel.”

This passage is known as the protoevangelium (or first gospel). The serpent will give a painful bruise to the seed of the woman, but He will crush the serpent’s head. Such an amazing reality to meditate on and contemplate. But also, Yahweh promises to make enmity between the serpent and the woman, along with his offspring and hers. This is very interesting: the woman will have offspring, and the serpent will have offspring that cohabitate together. But there is enmity between them. And the seed of the woman will crush the head of the serpent. We see this victory both in what Jesus had accomplished with His life, death, and resurrection (Colossians 2:15; Matthew 12:22-32) and also that this is a reality that God’s people are partaking in (think the seed of the woman and read Romans 16:20). Friends, this is wild! God’s people, His Church, are crushing Satan under their feet! What an amazing thought!

But this victory is not an all-out win at one time. This dichotomy of kingdoms will continue on. Matthew 13 is chock-full of Kingdom parables. Let’s look at one here and another later in this article. Matthew 13:24-30 ESV:

 He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a man who sowed good seed in his field, but while his men were sleeping, his enemy came and sowed weeds among the wheat and went away. So when the plants came up and bore grain, then the weeds appeared also. And the servants of the master of the house came and said to him, ‘Master, did you not sow good seed in your field? How then does it have weeds?’ He said to them, ‘An enemy has done this.’ So the servants said to him, ‘Then do you want us to go and gather them?’ But he said, ‘No, lest in gathering the weeds you root up the wheat along with them. Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, “Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.”’”

So, continue to think on the wavelength of “seed of the woman” and “seed of the serpent.” Some folks think postmills are just a bunch of people with their heads in the clouds and with rainbow colored glasses on because we’re so hopeful. That’s not it at all! We always see the dichotomy of the two kingdoms until Jesus returns. We don’t hide from that reality. However, we do see the upward trajectory of the Kingdom of God, even as bumpy as it can be for His Church along the way.  What postmill recognizes is the progressive nature of the Kingdom of God.

A Progressive Kingdom

We want everything right now. That’s our human nature. We want wrongs to be right, we want things just to be easy. But that doesn’t seem to be the progression of the biblical narrative. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that the story is not on an upward trajectory. Much of the bible appears to show that progress comes from what may look like apparent defeat. Wouldn’t that be how the God of Scripture continues to move His kingdom forward? Making sure it’s not at all a human victory, but His own, even with impossible odds?

Now I want to look at the progressive nature of the expansion of the Kingdom of God in Scripture. Remember, Jesus brought the Kingdom of God with His advent (Matthew 12:28). It’s here and now. Keep that in mind.

Matthew 13:31-33 ESV:

He put another parable before them, saying, “The kingdom of heaven is like a grain of mustard seed that a man took and sowed in his field. It is the smallest of all seeds, but when it has grown it is larger than all the garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and make nests in its branches.” He told them another parable. “The kingdom of heaven is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour, till it was all leavened.”

The Kingdom of God is about growth. Not just in a future, realised state, but now. The Kingdom of God starts out very small, Jesus uses a mustard seed or leaven (think yeast, baking powder, etc.). These are to create pictures in our mind of the expansion of Christ’s Kingdom. Just as a mustard seed explodes and grows larger than the other garden plants, or how leaven spreads through a lump of dough and makes it rise, so too will the Kingdom grow. But this is a progressive Kingdom, not all at once, just as leaven and a seed don’t just come to fruition all at once.

Isaiah 42:1-4 ESV (emphasis added):

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. He will not cry aloud or lift up his voice, or make it heard in the street; a bruised reed he will not break, and a faintly burning wick he will not quench; he will faithfully bring forth justice. He will not grow faint or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands wait for his law.

Recall the prior article and how we discussed that Psalm 110:1, which is the most quoted Old Testament verse in the New Testament, when we discussed how God the Father puts all of Jesus’ enemies under His feet and that He must reign until that is accomplished (Psalm 110:1, 1 Corinthians 15:20-26). So in this section, the Servant of Yahweh comes and rules in such a way to faithfully bring forth justice, and that this bringing forth justice is a progressive notion. “He will not grow faith or be discouraged till he has established justice in the earth” entails that there is a progressive trajectory to Christ’s Kingdom rule. It’s not an all-at-once notion, but His bringing forth justice is progressive in nature. There seems to be a theme here: growth that is progressive, and a ruling that brings forth justice that is progressive.

How will justice be established? Of course, perfect justice will someday be handled directly from the judgment of God (Revelation 21-22). But if these verses are about His rule that is here and now and is progressive, how is justice to be formed now in this life? By upholding and submitting to the law of God and calling it to bear in mind for all people: from lay people, rulers, judges, politicians, kings, everyone. See our article where we address this concept of Theonomy.

Postmill believes, with Jesus ruling right now,  that the reality of Psalm 110:1 is currently being and will be accomplished. We see that Jesus is establishing justice at this time, and that He will not grow faint or weary until He has accomplished all of His purpose.

But Things Seem So Bad Right Now… 

So you may say, “This all sounds well and good, Austin. But when I look around, things look so grim in our culture.” True. Things don’t always look great for Christianity. Sometimes it looks like things will not get better. And maybe they won’t in our lifetime, I don’t know. But what I do know is that the trajectory of Christianity and its effect on the world is upward.

Look at the 1st century, right after Jesus rose from the grave. The movement Jesus started essentially seemed destroyed. Here are 11 scared disciples of this Jewish, prophetic rabbi, all huddled up together. The once bold Peter, shattered by his betrayal of his Friend. Thomas doubted what Jesus claimed He would do. But then these men would be the foundation of the movement that would change the world. Most of these men ended up dying for the faith. In a short time, the Christian movement began to explode and permeate throughout the known world, despite difficulties and persecution. Despite Nero’s dressing Christians up in animal skins and having them mauled by wild animals or burning them at the stake to light his garden parties, Christianity began to permeate the culture. But then again, this is just typical of how mustard seeds and leavening work.

Fast forward to today, Christianity is the largest religion in the world. Many of the universities that charted the way for innovation, science, and medical care were founded on Christian roots (Harvard, Yale, etc.). It was the Christian abolitionists who conquered slavery in America. The American courts used much of the Mosaic law in building our judicial system for the rights of many to enjoy. Funny how 11 scared men huddled up in a room could bring us to where we are today. It’s amazing what mustard seeds can do. Don’t forget to see where the Church has come from. This should give us hope to where we are going.

So yes, things can look grim at times. Nobody ever promised a smooth road to victory. But the road is leading there nonetheless. The Gospel will succeed. “… for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD as the waters cover the sea (Isaiah 11:9 ESV).”

In the next article, we’ll see that the Great Commission from Jesus will be successful for His Kingly reign.

-Austin