An Eschatology Of Victory
J. Marcellus Kik
©1971 by Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co.
Paperback - 268 pages
$9.00

Section Three
REVELATION TWENTY
Foreword
I. The First Resurrection
II. The Two Resurrections
III. The Angel with the Chain
IV. Satan
V. Bound a Thousand Years
VI. I Saw Thrones
VII. The Regeneration
VIII. The Judging of the Saints
IX. The Reign of Martyrs
X. The Dead and the Living
XI. Satan Is Loosed!
XII. The Siege of the Beloved City
XIII. The Doom of the Devil
XIV. The Great White Throne
XV. The Books Are Opened
XVI. Death and Hades Vanquished

One of the intellectual curiosities of the twentieth century is the unwillingness of scholars and Christian leaders to admit the existence of a major school of Biblical interpretation. Although postmillennialism has a long history as a major, and perhaps the central, interpretation of Biblical eschatology, it is summarily read out of court by many on non-Biblical grounds. According to Unger, "This theory, largely disproved by the progress of history, is practically a dead issue." This note resounds in the critical literature, the appeal, not to Scripture but to history to read postmillennialism out of court.

Note, for example, the comments of Adams, ostensibly a Reformed scholar, when he touches briefly on the subject:

The advent of two World Wars not only transformed yesterday's optimistic modernism into today's pessimistic Neo-orthodoxy, but virtually rang the death knell upon conservative postmillennialism as well…. Currently, postmillennialism is considered all but a dead issue. It is spurned as highly unrealistic because it predicts a golden age around the corner in a day in which the world nervously anticipates momentary destruction by nuclear warfare.

Such comments are in principle modernistic, in that they assess Scripture, not in terms of itself, but in terms of the times, the modern age. In terms of this emphasis, Adams gives some attention to criticizing premillennialism, which seems relevant, he recognizes, because of its pessimism concerning history, and gives no attention to postmillennialism because history, not exegesis, has virtually made it "a dead issue" for him. This constitutes Biblical interpretation according to the state of world affairs!

Not only are such newspaper exegetes neglectful of the primacy of Scripture as its own interpreter, but they also seriously misrepresent the facts. Witness the comment of Lindsey:
 

There used to be a group called "postmillennialists." They believed that the Christians would root out the evil in the world, abolish godless rulers, and convert the world through ever increasing evangelism until they brought about the Kingdom of God on earth through their own efforts. Then after 1000 years of the institutional church reigning on earth with peace, equality, and righteousness, Christ would return and time would end. These people rejected much of the Scripture as being literal and believed in the inherent goodness of man. World War I greatly disheartened this group and World War II virtually wiped out this viewpoint. No self-respecting scholar who looks at the world conditions and the accelerating decline of Christian influence today is a "postmillennialist."

Here again we have an implicit modernism: The "self-respecting scholar…looks at world conditions" rather that Scripture in order to decide on his eschatology!
The errors in Lindsey's brief statement are many, but one will suffice in this context. Which of the postmillennial scholars held to "the inherent goodness of man"? Did Calvin, Alexander, Charles Hodge, Warfield, or others? In our day, does this belief in the fallen man's goodness characterize Kik, Boettner, or this writer? Such a statement as Lindsey makes has no foundation in fact and maligns a great and growing school of thought.

Postmillennial thought will flourish because it is Biblical and is therefore the eschatology of victory, or of salvation in its full sense. It takes seriously all of Scripture and the resurrection. Christ's victory is in time and eternity, in the world of matter as well as in the realm of the spirit. "The accelerating decline of Christian influence today" of which Lindsey speaks is a product of Christian irrelevance. It was not World War I which led to an eclipse of postmillennialism; rather, the growing modernism and atheism led to a rejection by the natural man of that faith which asserted the "Crown Rights of King Jesus" over the world. False eschatologies, by surrendering history to the devil, hastened the retreat of Christian influence and power. Any true revival of Biblical faith will also be a revival of postmillennialism.

The sources of the modern dilemma are in part Manichaean. Basic to Manichaeanism is the belief that the world is divided into two realms, the realm of spirit, light, goodness, and the good god, and the realm of matter, darkness, evil, and the bad god. In terms of this faith, man's mission is not a missionary conquest of all things but withdrawal from a hopelessly evil and satanic world into the world of spirit and light. Asceticism has been a major expression of neo-Manichaeanism thinking, and, in the early and medieval church, exercised a major influence. In modern Protestantism, neo-Manichaeanism manifests itself in eschatologies which surrender the world to the devil.

During the course of the past few years, this writer has been told repeatedly by persons dissenting with his postmillennialism that the world is ruled by Satan, and therefore postmillennialism is impossible. In the minds of church members, this conclusion that Satan is ruler of time, matter, and history brings logical and radical conclusions. It means the surrender of the world to the enemy, the denial of the possibility of social reform, and a hostility to any note of victory in preaching. ("Victorious living" becomes a neo-Manichaean flight into the realm of spirit.) A prominent premillennialist preacher has declared, "You don't polish brass on a sinking ship," thereby denying the validity of any involvement in history. Others have insisted that Satan rules the world and history. The Christian hope has been turned into flight and despair.

Postmillennialism will again prevail, however, because it is the truth of God and His enscriptured word. As an eschatology of victory, it will inspire men with the power of God, and, as with great saints of old, and the Puritans of yesteryears, lead again and more enduringly to the triumph of Christ in every area, bringing every sphere of thought and action into captivity to Christ.

The writings of J. M. Kik give us that eschatology of victory which Scripture sets forth.

Rousas John Rushdoony
March 4, 1971

Chapter 10

Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken: And then shall appear the sign of the Son of man in heaven: and then shall all the tribes of the earth mourn, and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his angels with a great sound of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his elect from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other. (Matt. 24:29-31)

Coming in the Clouds

The third and final clause of verse 30 says, "and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory." This clause has been thought to relate definitely to the second, visible, and personal coming of the Lord. But in the light of well-defined biblical language, the reference is rather to a coming in terms of the events of his providence in judgment against his enemies and in deliverance of his people.

It should be noted carefully that neither this verse nor this particular clause indicates a coming upon earth. Some have read into this clause that Jesus was actually descending to the earth for the purpose of taking up a reign in the city of Jerusalem. Nothing like that is indicated. As a matter of fact, there is not a single verse in the New Testament to indicate that Christ will reign upon a material throne in the material city of Jerusalem. This thought has been imported by a carnal interpretation of Old Testament passages. Christ is actually seated now upon his Messianic throne.

Many commentators have taken it for granted that the expression "coming in the clouds" refers to a visible coming of Christ. A careful study of the Scriptures, however, reveals that that is not a necessary interpretation. A similar expression occurs in Isaiah 19:1, "Behold, the Lord rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it." Although this passage speaks of the Lord riding upon a cloud and of his presence, nevertheless we know that the Egyptians did not see the Lord in a personal, visible way. The Lord riding upon a swift cloud indicated a coming in judgment against the Egyptians.

A similar type of expression concerning judgment is found in Psalm 97:2,3: "Clouds and darkness are round him: righteousness and judgment are the habitation of his throne. A fire goeth before him, and burneth up his enemies round about." In speaking of the mighty power of God the Psalmist uses this expression: "Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind" (Ps. 104:3). The expression "who maketh the clouds his chariot," is no different from "coming in the clouds of heaven." In the Psalms there is no thought of a personal, visible coming of the Lord, but rather references to his judgment and power.

Following the well-defined biblical sense of such expression the last clause of verse 30 may well be interpreted then to indicate a coming in judgment and power: judgment against his enemies and power to the establishment of his kingdom.

This interpretation is borne out by the words of Christ in other passages when he indicated that he was coming before the contemporary generation would pass away. He said: "Verily I say unto you, there shall be some standing here, which shall not taste death, till they see the Son of man coming in his kingdom" (Matt. 16:28). Christ was saying that some of the people actually standing before him and listening to him would not die until they saw the Son of man coming in his kingdom. This could hardly refer to a personal and visible coming in that generation.

The same thought in conveyed in Christ's words to the High Priest: "Thou hast said: Nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven" (Matt. 26:64). This High Priest was to see Christ sitting on the right hand of power and coming in the clouds of heaven. Can this possibly refer to Christ's second coming when the description "sitting on the right hand of power" precludes such interpretation. It means rather that after the crucifixion and resurrection, Jesus would ascend into heaven and take his place on the right hand of God, the Father, as described in Daniel 7:13,14: "I saw in the night vision, and, behold, one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, and they brought him near before him. And there was given him dominion, and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." When Christ ascended into heaven he was seated upon his Messianic throne. This is in full accord with the declaration of Christ as he was about to ascend into heaven: "All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth." One of the first manifestation of the power and glory of Messiah was the destruction of the city that refused to accept him as King and Saviour. This act of judgment gave evidence that all power had indeed been given unto him. He did come in the clouds of heaven and rained destruction upon those who had rejected and crucified him. This caused the tribes of the earth to mourn. The sign of the reigning Christ was seen in the destruction of Jerusalem. The contemporary generation, indicated in verse 34, witnessed fulfillment of these things as Christ had prophesied.

J. Marcellus Kik
An Eschatology of Victory
Presbyterian and Reformed, 1971
pp. 140-143

J. Marcellus Kid studied for the ministry at both Princeton and Westminster Theological Seminaries. He pastored churches in Canada for twenty years, and has pastored in the United States. For four years he served as Associate Editor of Christianity Today.