The Promise of the Future
by Cornelis
P.Venema
For over 20
years, the standard Amillennial textbook in Reformed
colleges and seminaries has been Anthony Hoekema's
classic work The Bible and the Future. This state of affairs may soon
change because of the recent publication of a new book by Cornelis
Venema entitled The Promise of the Future. Dr.
Venema, professor of doctrinal studies at Mid-America
Reformed Seminary, has given the church a well-written and comprehensive
textbook on eschatology from a Reformed and Amillennial
perspective.
The book is divided into six parts and sixteen
chapters and covers all of the major topics of individual and cosmic
eschatology. The two chapters in Part One set forth
the author's basic presuppositions and also outline some of the most important
eschatological concepts found in Scripture: the Kingdom, the Covenant, the Day
of the Lord, the "Already/Not Yet" nature of this present age. These
chapters provide the reader with some very valuable hermeneutical principles.
In Part Two, Venema deals with the nature of death
and the intermediate state. In his examination of these biblical doctrines he deals with several unbiblical views such as
Annihilationism, soul-sleep, and purgatory. Part Three sets forth one of the central elements of any orthodox
Christian eschatology - the future Second Coming of Christ at the final
consummation of this age.
The chapters in Part Four deal with various
"signs of the times" such as the preaching of the Gospel to all the
nations, the salvation of all
In Part Five, Venema evaluates the various millennial
views. He notes that broadly considered there are two basic positions regarding
the temporal relationship between Christ's Second Coming and the millennium:
Premillennialism and postmillennialism. He then points out
that within each of these two positions there are two distinctive types. The
two types of Premillennialism are historic
Premillennialism and dispensational Premillennialism.
The two types of postmillennialism are postmillennialism proper and
Amillennialism. Venema proceeds
by first explaining the basic tenets of each of the four major views. He does
so in a fair and irenic manner. He then offers a critique of the two premillennial positions, an exposition of Revelation 20,
and a critique of postmillennialism proper.
Part Six includes four chapters covering the most
fundamental elements of cosmic eschatology: the resurrection of the body, the
final judgment, the doctrine of eternal punishment, and the new heavens and
earth. In each of these chapters, the author does an excellent job of
presenting the biblical view as well as critiquing
various unbiblical alternatives. In the chapter on the resurrection of the
body, Venema includes a thorough discussion of the
nature of the resurrection body as well as an insightful evaluation of the
recent debate between Murray J. Harris and Norman Geisler
over Harris's understanding of the nature of the resurrection body. This
discussion will prove to be especially valuable to those who are dealing with
recent attempts among hyper-Preterists and others to
revive Harris's doctrine.
In his discussion of the doctrine of eternal punishment, Venema
offers very helpful critiques of Annihilationism and
Universalism, and in his discussion of the new heavens and earth, he offers a
needed corrective to those who have tended to picture heaven as an ethereal and
immaterial realm. He points out that there is a parallel between individual and
cosmic redemption. The individual receives a new resurrection body that is free
from sin and the effects of the curse, but the resurrection body is not immaterial. There is continuity between it and the
present body. Likewise, there is continuity between the present heavens and
earth and the new heavens and earth, and even though the curse will be removed,
these new heavens and earth are not some kind of immaterial Gnostic realm.
Venema is to be commended
for several things. First, his book is comprehensive without being shallow. He
discusses all of the important issues and does so in depth. Second, his book
treats those with whom he disagrees (including postmillennialists like myself)
fairly. This is a rare trait in eschatological works and one for which we can
be thankful when we see it. Finally, and this will be important to
postmillennial readers, Venema is one of the few
Amillennialists who not only claims to be an
"optimistic Amillennialist" but also
actually seems to be one in reality. Unlike many
Amillennialists,
Venema takes very seriously the biblical promises of
the power of the Holy Spirit in the spread of the Gospel. He expects widespread
conversion to Christ across the world. He expects the conversion of the Jews to
Christ. He expects the
My reservations about the book are few and may be considered
more as topics for further discussion rather than as criticisms. I will simply
list these as comments:
First,
in his criticism of Postmillennialism, Venema only criticizes that version of postmillennialism
that understands the millennium to be a specific period of
time in our future within the present inter-advental
age. There are, however, a growing number of
postmillennialists who understand the millennium to be symbolic of the entire
inter-advental era. Venema's
work raises the possibility of discussing how much difference actually exists
between his "optimistic Amillennialism" and
those versions of postmillennialism (like my own) that see the millennium as
spanning the entire period of time between Christ's first and second advent.
Second, a primary area of disagreement in interpretation centers on the so called "signs of the times." Venema allows that many, if not all of these, have primary
reference to the first century, but he insists that they have secondary
fulfillments throughout the present age and possibly ultimate fulfillments
immediately before the Second Coming of Christ. Venema's
discussion shows that the relationship between postmillennialism,
"optimistic" Amillennialism, and
Preterism is one that deserves further exploration and study.
All Christians should benefit from Venema's work.
Those who are postmillennialists should especially appreciate the fact that he
has rejected some of the most troubling elements of traditional
Amillennialism - especially the debilitating defeatism found
in the writings of some well-known authors. Venema
seems to have taken to heart many of the important exegetical and theological
points that postmillennialists have made over the years.
Kenneth Gentry has recently written an article about some of the profound
changes taking place within evangelical eschatology - the rise of progressive
Dispensationalism, the resurgence of postmillennialism, and
the rise of biblical Preterism. If Venema's book gains a wide hearing, we may be able to add
to that list a movement in Amillennialism towards a
more optimistic and biblical hope for the future. The promise of the future is
certainly not one of defeat. It is one of hope, and it is one of victory.
[The above review appeared in back issue of Ligonier Ministries
Table talk]
http://www.ligonier.org