After Loraine Boettner provides an essay advocating postmillennialism (Jesus returns after a “millennial” period), George Eldon Ladd writes,
“There is so little appeal to Scripture that I have little to criticize. The argument that the world is getting better is a two-edged sword. One can equally well argue from empirical observation that the world is getting worse. In the New Testament times, civilization enjoyed the great Pax Romana – two centuries when the Mediterranean world was at peace. This has never been repeated. Our lifetime has seen two worldwide wars and an unending series of lesser wars – in Korea, Vietnam, the Near East, Ireland, Lebanon. We have witnessed the rise of Nazism with hits slaughter of six million Jews, the rise and fall of fascism, the rise and stabilization of Communist governments. The world today is literall an armed camp.” (Ladd, The Meaning of the Millennium: Four Views, 143).
Hilarious! While I agree with Ladd’s historic premillennialism, I will also acknowledge that though Boettner has done wonderful work in other areas, his essay on postmillennialism is not very good, and Ladd is correct in noting the lack of Scriptural interaction.
Luke is a pastor-theologian living in northern California, serving as a co-lead pastor with his life, Dawn, at the Red Bluff Vineyard. Father of five amazing kids, when Luke isn’t hanging with his family, reading or writing theology, he moonlights as a fly fishing guide for Confluence Outfitters. He blogs regularly at LukeGeraty.com and regularly contributes to his YouTube channel.
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