Join Steve Schwetz and Bible teacher Dr. J. Vernon McGee as they explore the varying views of the end times, known as eschatology. From the early church’s stance on premillennialism to the historical significance and eventual decline of postmillennialism, this episode dives deep into the distinctions and implications of these theological perspectives. Whether you’re familiar with these concepts or new to the discussion, you’ll gain valuable insights into how different beliefs can shape one’s understanding of Scripture.
When it comes to the end times, there are two major camps of thought, amillennialism and premillennialism, with a third, postmillennialism, which sits in the fringes. But what are their differences? And does it really matter which view of the end times you choose to believe? Well, stay with us to find out. This is Steve Schwetz, and I’d like to welcome you to another edition of the Question and Answer program with our Bible teacher, Dr. J. Vernon McGee, who for over 30 years answered the questions of his many listeners. This program is a ministry of the Through the Bible Radio Network. You may not realize it, but eschatological differences are important. In fact, one’s view of the end times can determine how one interprets particular passages of Scripture. So we get right to our first question for today, which comes from a listener in Riverside, California. He says, Could you please explain the difference between premillennialism and amillennialism? And is amillennialism the same as postmillennialism?
SPEAKER 02 :
Now, may I say to you that the premillennial view was the view of the early church. I have in my notes a great many quotations from the early church fathers which show that the early church was looking for the Lord to come. They believed in the imminent return of Jesus Christ to take his church out of the earth. And, of course, that was Paul’s hope that he presented to the church, to a young preacher. He said, looking for that blessed hope and the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior. That was what the early church was looking for. It’s what Paul was looking for. It’s what he taught. was the coming of Christ. Now that is called premillennialism. And all of these are an interpretation relative to the millennium. Now the scripture teaches that there is coming a kingdom to be established upon this earth, that the Lord Jesus will reign over a kingdom on this earth. thousand years, and that the premillennialist believes that he’ll come first and take his church out of the world. And I personally believe, frankly, that the basic premillennial viewpoint is that that is the thing that is imminent, is His coming for His church, and that then the world enters the great tribulation period, and then Christ returns to the earth to establish His kingdom here upon this earth. Now, that is premillennialism. That’s the premillennial viewpoint. I believe that that was the unanimous view of the apostolic and post-apostolic church, the early church. Now, the other belief, post-millennialism, believes that Christ is coming at the end of the millennium. That belief came in later. It came in in times, and it has flourished in times when there was great expansion in the world. It had its heyday in the 19th century. The Victorian era is the period in which postmillennialism flourished. And it is a belief that the church would be the one to bring in the kingdom, not Christ. That is, not Christ coming personally to establish his kingdom, but rather the church by the preaching of the gospel would convert the world and bring the entire world into obedience to Christ. And then he would come to a world and it would be sort of like a victory parade. He’d be the one accepted and he’d be the one received, you see, by all mankind. Now, honestly, today it seems unbelievable that there was a period when men believed that. They did believe it. You go back and take up commentaries written 100 years ago or even 50 years ago, 60 years ago. Why, it’s amazing what men actually thought back there. And they seemed to pay no attention to the prophecies in the Scriptures. They paid very little attention to the ones that there was coming a time of great trouble on the earth and there would be a rebellion against God. and an apostasy was coming upon the earth. They paid no attention, apparently, to those scriptures or dismissed them and were looking forward to the time that when Christ would be brought back to the earth, not to establish the kingdom, but after the kingdom had been in existence for a thousand years. I remember years ago when my first pastorate, that a retired preacher, told me that he went at the turn of the century to a student volunteer movement back in those days that they had. And he says that they all wore buttons and on those buttons were the words, the world converted to Christ in this generation. And it was, he said, you’ve never heard such optimism. They predicted that in the next 20 years that the entire world would be converted. They did not realize that a world war, the first world war, was right in the offing and a moral breakdown the lack of which the world had not seen was to follow it. But they thought the world would be converted. That was at the turn of of the century. That’s postmillennialism. Now postmillennialism is, I would say it’s dead today. I do not believe that you will find very many reputable theologians in the world today that hold that position, espouse it in any way, or even favorably inclined to it. And yet if you’d go back 50 years, you’d find that practically every seminary in America, in fact, if you’d go back to the turn of the century, every seminary in America was a seminary that was post-millennial, and not a one of them are that today. Now that brings us to the third position, amillennialism. Now, ah, the word a that’s in front of it is actually the Greek word, the Greek letter alpha. And when you put the Greek letter alpha in front of any word, it reverses the meaning. And it’s just like saying non or not. It could be better translated by not. So an amillennialist is one who does not believe that there’s going to be a millennium at all. Now you would say, well, how in the world do they dismiss the millennium? How do they get rid of the fact that the scripture is very clear on that? And then if you didn’t even want to accept the fact of the thousand years, the kingdom is the great subject of the Old Testament. Well, this viewpoint, which by the way, although it’s not a new viewpoint, but it certainly was never a very popular viewpoint until recent years. I’ve always felt that the postmillennialists that the post he was hiding back of was knocked out from under him and are in front of him, and he can’t hide back of the post anymore, so he’s got rid of the millennium. And most post-millennialists today are all millennialists. and most of the seminaries. I would say that every denominational seminary today, with probably two or three exceptions, are all all-millennial. They do not believe there’s to be any millennium at all, and they spiritualize all of the passages of Scripture that have to do with this kingdom that is to be set up. Now, I recall I graduated. I’m a graduate. I have right here in my study now a diploma from a seminary that’s all millennia. It’s a seminary in the Southern Presbyterian Church. It’s probably one of the outstanding seminaries of any denomination in America today. Some of the very choicest scholars in that field today, one of the outstanding all-millennialists in America today that’s written more on it. I had the privilege of studying in under him. And I do believe and know what the position is. I studied Revelation both in English and in Greek under these men. Now, they take the book of Revelation and spiritualize every bit of it. Honestly, when it comes out, it makes no sense whatsoever. The thought is to take those strong passages of scripture that have to do with the pouring out of the bowls of wrath. And they’re absolutely toned down and fitted into some event that’s already taken place in history. And there’s no attempt made to make the book of Revelation either a logical or chronological book at all. And when you get to the 20th chapter of Revelation, where the thousand years is mentioned, they are great at saying, well, you know, it’s only mentioned in one passage. Well, of course, the kingdom is mentioned in many passages, but the thousand years is mentioned six times in one chapter. And it just raises the question, how many times does God have to say a thing before it’s true? But of course, what they do is spiritualize it and spiritualize it away and fit it into the present age in which we live. And I remember asking one of these professors, for it says that the devil was chained and put in the bottomless pit for the thousand years. And I said to him, I said, doctor, is the devil chained today and put in a bottomless pit? He said this. He says, well, he says, you know, he is today put on a chain and it’s sort of like tethering a cow out in the pasture. Now that’s all millennialism. I’ve always felt it’s the weakest of all of them. But of course, post-millennialism cannot be helped today logically. And many of these men do not want to accept, nor will they accept, the premillennial viewpoint. And for that reason, they are today amillennialists. Now, I have taken a great deal of time on this question. And the reason that I have, friends, this is one of the most important issues today. Now, it doesn’t always work itself out. into the pulpit today or into the church. But this is the hot issue in our seminaries today and even in our fundamental schools today. You’ll find this is a very hot issue. I personally believe that even in many of our so-called premillennial schools that the average even teacher there cannot give you an intelligent statement concerning the premillennial viewpoint Narcani defended. I have had that experience of being in contact for I am in contact with many of these men and I found that some of them that teach in so-called premillennial schools unfortunately cannot defend the position. I think that’s altogether unfortunate today. But that, my friend, is the position, of course, that I hold. I defend it. I believe I can defend it. I believe that I can give a reason for the hope that’s within me relative to the premillennial coming of the Lord Jesus Christ and that I do not think that either postmillennialism nor amillennialism answers and can answer all the problems in Scripture. And I’m not saying that there are not problems for the premillennial viewpoint. Now, I personally have come in my ministry to the place where the problems have been solved. I have no difficulty with what to me, when I was a student in seminary, was and were problems. But I must say that today, as far as I’m personally concerned, I have a strong conviction concerning the premillennial viewpoint.
SPEAKER 01 :
A Walton, Kentucky listener has a simple but important question. She says, In the parable of the sower, fruit is mentioned as a harvest. Is this fruit a reference to souls won for Christ or the fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, very frankly, my feeling is that the primary reference is to the fruit of the Spirit. And I believe that you will find that to be true in several references. Now, you have given a reference to Galatians, which, by the way, I feel is a good reference. But the one that I would like to turn to is that in John 15, where it says, “‘Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit he purgeth it.'” And then when you get down in that chapter, he says, Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, so shall ye be my disciples. Now he says, If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love, as I have kept my Father’s commandments. And then he talks about the love that he has for those that are his own. and that the love that his own should manifest, that is one of the fruits of the Spirit, you see. So I accept that as being primary. Now, I believe that one of the byproducts of when a Christian produces the fruit of the Spirit is that his life will bear testimony and be the means of bringing people to Christ. It will witness for Christ. I consider that more or less of a byproduct. Now, I have here many letters that come to us from people who are accepting Christ through our program. For instance, we’ll get a letter like this, and I generally read this section of it. My mother has been listening to your program. And There has been a great change in her life, and I’d like to see that manifested in my life. So I began listening, and I’ve accepted Christ as my Savior. Or I work with someone. A man said, this man that I work for, he listens to your program. He is a wonderful, sweet Christian. And so I began to listen and I’ve accepted Christ. My feeling is that today, I doubt whether just one person is ever responsible 100% for leading anyone to Christ. That is, even as the human instrument. You’ll always find back in there somewhere somebody that had an effect upon that individual. And I know in my own life, it was the life of several people around me. They weren’t perfect. But they had something that I didn’t have. I know that that was the thing that made me to begin to think that the way I was going was not getting me anywhere. So that I’m sure that when a person begins to manifest the fruit of the Spirit, and that is love, joy, peace, all of those wonderful things in his life, that somebody’s going to be affected. He may not know anything about it. that will be led to Christ. The late Dr. Schofield made it very clear that although he was converted as a drunkard by someone that led him to Christ, yet when he was praying one day with Dr. Schaeffer, he just stopped his prayer. Tears came in his eyes. And he said, Lord, if my mother doesn’t know that I have become a Christian, would you tell her? Because it was her life. that started me to think about turning to God. You see, fruit bearing life And I am of the opinion that that is probably the greatest pulpit that there is in the world today, the lives of believers. So that I think you’d have to then say both, wouldn’t you? And that when we are talking about the fruit bearing, they bring forth fruit, some 30, some 60, some 100-fold. We’re talking about a life that has the fruit of the Spirit, and that in turn has a byproduct of witnessing for Christ. I believe that is the thoughts there. And I’ve spent time with that. I think that’s an important thing today.
SPEAKER 01 :
A listener in Kent, Washington, is having trouble with John 19, 11. He says, Then Jesus said that the one who delivered him to Pilate was guilty of the greater sin. Is Jesus saying that God the Father sinned in delivering Jesus into Pilate’s hand? I know that this can’t be right, so Jesus must be referring to somebody else. How do you reconcile these two portions of the verse?
SPEAKER 02 :
Well, may I say to you, I think they reconcile very easily. It’s just a matter of understanding what is being said. And I’m afraid that you have forced upon this verse a meaning, actually, that is not there. I wish that we could use the same kind of common sense today. Sanctified common sense today. is needed in understanding Scripture. You know, this is not only God’s book, not only the inspired Word of God, but it’s also a very human book. There’s no book that’s as human as the Bible is. And we ought to give it the benefit of being a wonderful human book given to us that we use good old human sanctified common sense in understanding the Word of God. We need that, I think, today in understanding many things in the Bible that I think very plain. I’m reading now John 19, 11. Jesus answered, Thou couldst have no power at all against me except it were given thee from above. Therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. Now, when he says thou hast no power except it’s given to you from above, He didn’t say God the Father. I think here that he’s actually of himself. He’s God manifest in the flesh. And he’s making it very clear that the power that this man has, they would not have it if God did not permit it. And that is what he’s saying in that particular verse here. Now he says, therefore he that delivered me unto thee hath the greater sin. Who delivered him unto them? The religious rulers delivered him. This is a human book, friends. He’s not talking about God permitting it. He’s talking about that the human responsibility rested upon the religious leaders who had the Old Testament, but their religious leaders were the ones that turned them over to the Roman government to execute. And he says that they… are the ones that had the greater sin. And that brings in something else that I said in a former question and answer, that light creates responsibility. Old Pilate there on the throne, he didn’t have any particular spiritual light, but these people did have These religious rulers had the Old Testament, and they had a real responsibility. And the Lord Jesus says their sin is much greater than yours. But that did not relieve Pilate of his responsibility. And when you read the entire account, if you take all four Gospels, read them together. you’ll get a full picture of old Pilate and his responsibility. And when he handed down that decision to crucify Jesus Christ, the days of the Roman Empire were numbered, and they certainly were numbered. The Roman Empire was to go down because of that. May I make a practical application? This nation has had the light is moving today toward judgment because of the fact of the way that this nation has handled the light that we’ve had. We are not any different than the scribes and the Pharisees and the Sadducees of that day, the religious leaders, because we’ve got religious leaders today. that very frankly are trying to disarm our country. And they have made that very clear. At the time that I’m making this, I am frightened at what one of them has made on TV. that the United States under no circumstances should use force in freeing hostages. Because you and I live in a world today where the Lord Jesus Christ let Satan say to him, I’ll give you the kingdoms of this world if you’ll bow down to me. And he evidently was able to present them. We are living in a world that Satan is overruling, and believe me, in a world like that, the Lord Jesus said, a strong man armed keepeth his household. We forget about all the words that the Lord Jesus said, and today we have been a strong man. I don’t think maybe we are now, but we were. We should have been armed. We need to get back to the Word of God
SPEAKER 01 :
Are you getting back to the Word of God? If you’d like to, but aren’t currently doing so, then we have several suggestions that we think can help. First and foremost, find a good Bible teaching church which will teach you the Word of God in its entirety. And then secondly, we suggest that you join us during the Through the Bible radio program heard on this station each Monday through Friday and online. And if you patiently follow along, you’ll travel with Dr. McGee through each book of the Bible on a five-year journey. Additional help for these studies is provided through his notes and outlines which are available You can also request them when you call and ask to be on our mailing list. We can be reached at 1-800-65-BIBLE anytime or write to Questions and Answers. For those in the U.S., Box 7100, Pasadena, California, 91109. In Canada, Box 25325, London, Ontario, N6C 6B1. For the Through the Bible Network, this is Steve Schwetz. We hope that our God will answer all your questions and solve all your problems. This program has been brought to you by the faithful friends and supporters of Through the Bible Radio Network.
