Millennial Debate
Post-millennialism

Post-millennialism is the most optimistic position as to the church’s influence on society. Jesus Christ reigns by His Word and Spirit until evil is defeated. One of the key Post-millennial contemporary thinkers is Kenneth Gentry. Some of his points of Post-millennialism are as follows:
1. The Messianic Kingdom was founded on earth during Christ’s earthly ministry.
2. The NT Church becomes transformed Israel, the Israel of God in Gal. 6:16.
3. The Kingdom will exercise a socio-economic transformation of culture by and through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
4. The Kingdom will gradually expand in time on earth by His royal kingship but without His presence.
5. The Kingdom is redemptive and spiritual, not political and physical.
6. The Great Commission will succeed resulting in Christianizing the nations.
[With 5 & 6 there is a distinction between pietistic post-millennialists and theonomic post-millennialists. The former do not believe transformation of culture will occur through the imposition of Biblical law; the latter do.]
See, Kenneth Gentry, Jr., He Shall Have Dominion: A Post-Millennial Eschatology, (Tyler, TX: Institute for Christian Economics, 1992).

For the Post-millennialist, Jesus Christ returns after the Gospel becomes the pre-dominant worldview. There will be prosperity, peace and righteousness. It will be a gradual process, but the Great Commission will triumph. The main mission of the church is to redeem the culture. Jesus, at His resurrection was given all authority in heaven and earth and nothing can hinder the growth of His spiritual Kingdom. When He returns (the Second Coming) all things will have been placed under His feet. His rule will be complete, and after (post) the millennial reign, “then the Son Himself will also be subject to Him Who put all things under Him, that God may be all in all [1 Cor. 15:28].”