:., .

....
The Rise of Promillennialism
Thus, posQnillennialism is not in-
.herently ,promillennial: it . normally is
prornillennial, but it is not necessarily
so. The idea that promillennialism is
simply premils and amits acting' like
postmils is thus a gross oversimplifica-
Copyright@ 1985
by Martin G. Selbrede
There is a new millennialism
afoot tOday. Promillennialism. The
umn is not original with me. I am not
even certain whether the fellow who
coined the ternl meant what I mean by
the term; that is irrelevant. I intend to
appropriate the term for my own pur-
poses in this article, and I think most
of my readers will concur with my de-
cision.
Promillennialism .is not the
same as panmillennialism. The panmil-
lennialist believes that everything will
pan out in the end. There is an apathetic
streak in the soul of the panmillennial-
ist. He doesn't care to discuss prophecy
or eschatology because.he simply wants
to avoid controversy. Panmillennialism
is the easy way out but convictions
not worth defending are not worth be-
lieving, either; Panmillennialism seeks
peace between Christian brethren at too
high a price in doctrinal flabbiness.
Moreover, many panmillennialists ate
prone to low-salt content in their deeds
as well as their profession.
Promillennialism. is not just
a different name for panmillennialism.
It has been said that a ptomillennialist
is a Christian who, when questioned
about. his view ofChrist's second com-
ing, responds, "I'm for however Jesus
does it II (Hence the name, promillen
nialism.) This definition is inadequate.
A promillennialist is actually any Chris-
tian who carries out the explicit com-
mands of his Saviour and Lord. particu-
larly the Great Commission. The de-
fmition excludes .references to mi1len-
nial viewpoints. Premillennialists, arnil-
lepnialists, and postmillennialists can
be (and many are) promillennial. The
definition hinges on deed rather than pro-
fession: the promillennialists walks by
Christ's commands, rather than his
view of prophecy. This is the heart of
prornillennialism.
Why is so important? First. con-
victions are not downgraded for 1:\te sake
of unity. Promillennialisis can labor to-
gether widtout compromising or i:nin:i-
mizing their convictions on eschatOlo-
gy. Neither do they maximize peace at
tion, Prornillennialism is really pre-
any doctrinal price. Rather, they maxi- mils, amils, and postmils acting like
mize their convictions about the Lord's promils. Together. It's called "being at
marching orders. Promillennialists set one's post until the Lord calls us
their shoulder to the work to be done, home." It won't be for our doctrine's
not the argument to. be woo. The realm sake that the Lord will say, 'Well done,
of deed, not of profession, . js where our good and faithful se1Vant." The Lord
faithfulness must ftrSt be evidenced. won't single out postmillennialists for
Where there's a job to do, who, realistic- this praise; he'll single out promil"
ally speaking, has time to argue pre- lennialists of all eschatological persua-
dictive prophecy? Besides, we not only sions. Some nrlght cherish their doc-
keep oUrselves from working when we trines to the exclusion of working to-
argue eschatology, we keep our brother gether with others for their mutual
from his task as well. Promillennialists King. The promillennialist won't hear
put first things ftrSl of such atra'/esty. The promillennialiSt
. The pa(able of the two SOI)S Sees himself as a fellow laborer with.
(Matt. 21:29-31) contains this general other promillennialists.
lesson in capsule form, although our' Ptornillennialists look for-
Lord uses the parable to underscore a ward to the day when the word pro-
somewhat different point than I am millennial is synomymous with the
establishing here. The two sons were word Christian. Is this a concession to
asked to work in the field. ODe said no, postmillennialism? No. This is simply
but repented and worked anyway. The the hope that God will soon answer the
other said yes, but didn't go as he said great evangelistic. prayer Christ called
be would. What is contrasted is us all to pray. The prayer is i:ecogniz-
profession and deed. Who did their able even in my paraphrase of it (taken
father's will? The one who did his from the Selbrede. Super Duper Refer-
father's will in deed. The other did his ence Bible, Matt. 9:37-38): "The fields
father's will in profession. H\S wor'ds a:re white unto harvest, but the prornil-
were right His actions were wrong. lennialists are Pray that the Lord
The fiist son's words were wrong, but of the harvest will send more promil-
his' deeds were right. For this reason, lennialists into his harvest." "But," you
James declares that his faith can be nrlght protest, "the original word Jesus
perceived by his works. insists used is laborer. You seem to treat
that faith without wotks is dead. How laborer and promillennialist as syno-
much more is doctrine without works nyms." Yes. Now you are. getting the
dead! picture. Ptomillenialist is a fancy word
Some have objected that people who for laborer. Like it says in 1 Cor.
are prontillennialists therefore behave 15:58, ''Be steadfast. unmoveable, at-
like postniillennialists. I'd like to ways abounding in the work of the
rect that notion. It . is possible for a lord, forasmuch as ye know that your
postmillennialist to sit on his duff, too. promillennialism is not in vain in the
A postmillenrtialist can assuine that. Lord." After all, "we are prornillen-
since he, believes Christ wili save the .. / together with God" (1 Cor.
world, why work up an evangelistiC' .
sweat Jesus will do it ;ill. An-y/ mil- 1 Cor. 15:58 quoted abOve
lennial viewpoint is P.fone to such (Continued on page 24)
abuse by the lazy. Christian williilg to
rationalize his Whether the world
is going down hill or being gradually
conquered by Christ, there will be Chris-
tians willing to use either scenario as
an excuse for inaction. Men such as
these, hi oo'\vise proriilllennialists.
; . :
Martin Selbrede. Is
a businessman,
musician and
theologian in
Southern California.
The Counsel of Chalcedon December, 1989 page16
House Divided
Continued from page 7
their Christian responsibilities worthy
of emulation. Needless to say, God will
judge us for our deeds more so than for
our ideas.
Postscript: House Divided is
subtitled The Breakup of Dispensational
Theology. The premise may be true
now, but the tables were turned in the
early 20th century, when
nialists could, with complete justice,
have written Princeton . Divided: The
Breakup of Postmillennial Theology.
The title House Divided was originated
by ... .Dr. H. Wayne House himself! Dr.
North took dominion over the niiJile,
and given his penchant for '"weenie
roasts" at the "Bonfire Faculties"
(House Divided, pg. xl), probably ap-
pended the gleefully grim subtitle.
Gone are the days when Dionysius
could convert an entire regional church
away from premillennialism with only
three days of gentle, gracious, and per-
suasive discussion. 0
Promillennialism
Continued from page 16
gives an exeenent definition. of the pro-'
millennialist: any Christian who is'
"always abounding in the work of the
LOrd." He knows his promillennialism
isn't in vain, because Christ, as the one
who wields all power and authority,
would never command His people to
perform vanities and futilities. This
even extends to the command of 2 Cor.
10:5: the call to take every thOught
captive to the obedience of Christ. Ef-
forts here are not in vain either; our var-
ious views on prophecy have no bear-
ing on our Lord's earnest promise. If
these Incentives weren't eoough, Jesus
even added the promise that those who
are faithful in little things will be given
authority over greater things;.
. Promillennialism, then, is nothing
more than serious, full-orbed Christian-
ity at its best: men of God hard at work
for the Lord of the harvest. The funny
thing is, two promillennialists, one pre-
mil and one postmil, have more in com-
mon with each other than with those
who share their respective propbetic
viewpoints but lack their desire to labor
in the harvest. God doesn't just callous-
ly throw such "strange bedfellows" to-
gether to express His sense of humor.
Rather, He is glorified in this. The
between premils, amils, and
posunjls pale in comparison to the
between a :Ualotanda Tax Col-
lector in 1st-century Israel: yet Christ
The Counsel of Chalcedon DeCember, 1989 page 24
on-Prqfit Org .
. : U.s .. Postage
PAID
BULK RATE
Pennit No. t.553
made both Matthew and Simon
disciples. We would do well to take
example to heart, an!i to take up the
title, promillennialists, for ourselveS;
both with tongue-in-cheek: and sword-in-
hand. 0.