Is there hope for this world? Do the promises of the gospel hold out a bright future for the families and nations of the earth? In this enlightening work, Keith A. Mathison sets forth a wealth of biblical, historical, and theological evidence for an optimistic eschatology. Unlike end-time forecasts that see modest growth in the church before Christ's return, postmillennialism expects the Spirit-blessed gospel to have overwhelming success in bringing the world to Christ. Mathison explains why, and he calls us to renewed faith and expectation as we serve the reigning King of Kings.

Analyzes what Jesus said about when he would return and the last days would arrive (as in Matthew 24:34). Defends the trustworthiness of Jesus' teachings.

"We have just ended a century dominated by a multitude of failed prophecies from those who looked to be raptured out of a collapsing world at any moment. The dawning of a new millennium will hopefully cause the Church to pause and consider whether these discredited prophets should be hooted off the stage. Victory in Jesus: The Bright Hope of Postmillennialism offers a sober and faithful examination of Scripture while clearly demonstrating that Christians have every reason to expect the victory of Jesus and the triumph of the gospel as the Great Commission is fulfilled on earth. The first three chapters (edited from lectures delivered by Dr. Bahnsen), offer a simple and easy to understand presentation of eschatology in general and especially postmillennial eschatology. These chapters are foundational and provide an excellent start for the person who wants a survey of the topic without too much technical or theological language. The last two chapters build on this foundation and layout a more advanced and in-depth explanation of the postmillennial position"--Back cover.

Stanley J. Grenz describes four major views on the millennium held by evangelicals and assesses their strengths and weaknesses.

Though we can never, in our time-bound state, know the future in detail, God in his mercy has not left us in complete ignorance of what is to come. His revelation in Holy Scripture has cast a flood of light on what would otherwise remain an impenetrable mystery. Even among those who accept the Bible's authority, however, there has never been complete agreement on what Scripture teaches in this area. This major new examination of biblical teaching on the future of the individual, of the church and of the universe as a whole will be useful both to theological students and to informed non-specialists. Ranging over the whole field, it interacts extensively with recent literature on disputed issues, such as the nature of the intermediate state, the millennium of Revelation 20 and the doctrine of eternal punishment, always seeking to answer the fundamental question: 'What do the Scriptures teach?' The Christ-centered nature of biblical teaching on the future is emphasized, as is the importance of the church's historic confessions for an understanding of eschatology. The chief note sounded is one of hope: 'God's people eagerly await Christ's return because it promises the completion of God's work of redemption. The future is bright because it is full of promise, the promise of God's Word.' - Jacket flap.

The Book of Revelation is one of the most misunderstood and neglected books in the Bible, partly because of its Apocalyptic genre which is a literary form that is not used anymore. Yet, it is also misunderstood because most Christians are unfamiliar with the historical-cultural context of first-century Christianity and Judaism in the Roman Empire. The Revelation is far more relevant for Christian's daily lives as the church advances the gospel throughout the world than most people realize, specifically written to believers "to unveil" the reign of their Lord over the earth and the binding of Satan, the Spirit and the Bride (through the proclamation of the gospel) opening the eyes of the nations that he had blinded over the course of centuries. This commentary seeks to quote and cite as much of the history as possible to bring out the book's first-century meaning and present applications.