A glimpse into John Owen's eschatology

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RamistThomist

Puritanboard Clerk
I realize we can't really call it postmillennialism or amillennialism as the terms are used today. But it's still interesting:

Taken from Iain Murray’s The Puritan Hope, p. 38.

that God in his appointed time will bring forth the kingdom of the Lord Christ unto more glory and power than in former days, I presume you are persuaded. Whatever will be more, these six things are clearly promised: —

1st. Fulness of peace unto the gospel and the professors thereof, Isaiah 11:6,7, ,54:13, .33:20,21;,Revelation 21:25.

2dly. Purity and beauty of ordinances and gospel worship, Revelation 11:2, 21:3. The tabernacle was wholly made by appointment, Malachi 3:3,4; Zechariah 14:16; Revelation 21:27; Zechariah 14:20; Isaiah 35:8.

3dly. Multitudes of converts, many persons, yea, nations, Isaiah 9:7, 8, 66:8, 49:18-22; Revelation 7:9.

4thly. The full casting out and rejecting of all will-worship, and their attendant abominations, Revelation 11:2.

5thly. Professed subjection of the nations throughout the whole world unto the Lord Christ, Daniel 2:44, 7:26,27; Isaiah 60:6-9; — the kingdoms become the kingdoms of our Lord and his Christ, [Revelation 11:15,] amongst whom his appearance shall be so glorious, that David himself shall be said to reign.

6thly. A most glorious and dreadful breaking of all that rise in opposition unto him, Isaiah 60:12, — never such desolations, Revelation 16:1719.

John Owen, Works 8: 401 (I could be wrong. My pagination might be off).
 
I realize we can't really call it postmillennialism or amillennialism as the terms are used today. But it's still interesting:

Taken from Iain Murray’s The Puritan Hope, p. 38.



John Owen, Works 8: 401 (I could be wrong. My pagination might be off).
Did he see the church ushering that in, or the Lord Himself doing that though?
 
I believe we could likely categorize Owen, like many (most?) of his contemporaries, as an historicist, which would entail the belief that the destruction of the Papacy, that Antichrist, would usher in a thousand-year golden age of peace and unprecedented gospel advance.

One could find bits of all three of the orthodox millennialisms in these quotations.
 
Did he see the church ushering that in, or the Lord Himself doing that though?

He is very clear. The Lord is returning to a world where gospel preaching has made a difference. This, however, isn't the church "forcing" it down or "ushering" it in. Though of course God uses means such as the church.
 
How do you suppose the Lord would do it, except through his Church, and how would the Church accomplish it, except by the hand of the Lord?
He can do that through his church, or through Himself directly at the second coming event.
 
He is very clear. The Lord is returning to a world where gospel preaching has made a difference. This, however, isn't the church "forcing" it down or "ushering" it in. Though of course God uses means such as the church.
So he would be labeled then as holding to a Post Mil viewpoint?
 
So he would be labeled then as holding to a Post Mil viewpoint?
Perhaps another way of looking at it is that he held to a postmillennial-esque optimism about gospel advance and the extent to which it would have an influence upon culture, government, etc.
 
Perhaps another way of looking at it is that he held to a postmillennial-esque optimism about gospel advance and the extent to which it would have an influence upon culture, government, etc.
I am still trying to understand the differences between that view, and Reconstructionism and Theonomy.
 
I am still trying to understand the differences between that view, and Reconstructionism and Theonomy.
My guess with regard to Owen is that he would have set the better and more glorious portion of gospel advance and its affect upon culture and government in a thousand-year golden age, typical among Puritan authors. Reconstructionism (or Theonomic Postmillennialism) would see a gradual expansion of righteousness and success for Christianity in this age but would reject the idea of a future golden age, per say.

Theonomy itself is an anachronistic term, but Owen, in common with the Puritans and the magisterial Reformers, would have seen a place for the civil magistrate in defending the true religion and enforcing the general equity of the judicial laws of Moses.
 
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So Owen view would have the 1000 years be a time of there being Jesus exalted up as the Lord among all nations, earth be following Him pretty much, and then He returns?
 
So Owen view would have the 1000 years be a time of there being Jesus exalted up as the Lord among all nations, earth be following Him pretty much, and then He returns?
I'm fairly certain he would fall into the historicist camp, so more or less yes.
 
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