Postmillennialism versus Amillennialism

[Obsidian]

Could someone give me a few good passages that explain why postmillennialism is better than amillennialism? Looking at the pessimism in 1 and 2 Timothy regarding the unstoppable heretic uprising, John's talk about "antichrists," various parables of Jesus such as the Tares and the Ten Virgins, and my own observations that many "Christians" are false teachers who are probably unsaved, I'm having a little trouble buying the idea that true Christianity will sweep the globe.

Also, a couple things to note:

1. If you bring up the "Stand at my right hand 'til I put your enemies under your feet" line, then that seems pretty compatible with amillennialism. That is, it could easily be referring to this event:

Revelation 20 NIV

7When the thousand years are over, Satan will be released from his prison 8and will go out to deceive the nations in the four corners of the earth—Gog and Magog—to gather them for battle. In number they are like the sand on the seashore. 9They marched across the breadth of the earth and surrounded the camp of God's people, the city he loves. But fire came down from heaven and devoured them. 10And the devil, who deceived them, was thrown into the lake of burning sulfur, where the beast and the false prophet had been thrown. They will be tormented day and night for ever and ever.

11Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. 12And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books.

2. If you bring up any passages from Isaiah or something similar, make sure to explain why you think those apply to an earthly millennium and not to heaven/the 2nd earth.

[mikewhitney]

Could someone give me a few good passages that explain why postmillennialism is better than amillennialism? Looking at the pessimism in 1 and 2 Timothy regarding the unstoppable heretic uprising, John's talk about "antichrists," various parables of Jesus such as the Tares and the Ten Virgins, and my own observations that many "Christians" are false teachers who are probably unsaved, I'm having a little trouble buying the idea that true Christianity will sweep the globe.

Also, a couple things to note:

1. If you bring up the "Stand at my right hand 'til I put your enemies under your feet" line, then that seems pretty compatible with amillennialism. That is, it could easily be referring to this event:

2. If you bring up any passages from Isaiah or something similar, make sure to explain why you think those apply to an earthly millennium and not to heaven/the 2nd earth.

I hope you don't mind a side-step to your question...

The essential difference I have seen between the two views is in their treatment of the kingdom of God.
The Post-Mils see God's kingdom as His influence over the rulers of the nations. The "church" then can help influence the nations to achieve godly rule in the world. I think they are right at least when assuming that God's kingdom is in existence and is separate from the "church." But they are wrong in assuming Christ needs help in any active sense by the Church. And then there may be some ambiguity in the meaning of "church" as if to imply that the influence is to come through the church organizations.

The A-mils see the Church as the kingdom. Hence there will be more and more Christians until almost everyone becomes one. I think these guys err in the interpretation of the nature of the kingdom but at least there isn't the mindset of taking over the governments.

In a sense both groups (Post-Mil and A-Mil) have generally joined on the idea that the millennium is an indefinetly long time.

The mention of Rev 20 may go against the A-Mil view in that the deception of nations actually may imply a deceipt about the nature of God and of believers-- as an apparenet reversal of the all encompassing reach of Christianity. Or Rev 20 may speak a bit against Post-Mil if the deception is seen to mainly affect (or work through) governments -- the undoing of the effort to increase peace through Christ.

So I think that the distinction between the Post-Mil and A-Mil groups may be resolved through a clarification, among scholars, of the nature of the kingdom of God.