C HAPTER 17 Section
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LONGING FOR THE “NOONDAY BRIGHT”: POSTMILLENNIAL HISTORY AND MISSIONARY HYMNS In the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, postmillennialism became a particularly popular perspective among persons who were passionate about cross-cultural evangelism. Proclaiming the gospel to every nation was essential to the dawning of the millennial kingdom, so postmillennialism fit hand-in-hand with enthusiasm for missions. Many of the missionary hymns of the nineteenth century even proclaimed postmillennial eschatology. Perhaps you’ve sung these postmillennial lyrics at some point without even thinking about the eschatology behind them: “We’ve a song to be sung to the nations, that shall lift their hearts to the Lord, a song that shall conquer evil, and shatter the spear and sword, and shatter the spear and sword. “For the darkness shall turn to dawning, and the dawning to noonday bright; and Christ’s great kingdom shall come on earth, the kingdom of love and light.” (H. Ernest Nichol, “We’ve a Story to Tell to the Nations”) Inspired in part by postmillennial expectations of a time when the millennial kingdom would begin on earth, William Carey launched the Baptist Missionary Society and served as a missionary among the people of India. David Brainerd proclaimed the gospel William Carey among Native Americans in New England. John A. Broadus inspired missionary zeal in a young woman named Lottie Moon, who declared the good news of Jesus in northern China.
WHAT ABOUT THE GREAT TRIBULATION? From a postmillennialist perspective, the outlook for the future is bright! As the gospel penetrates the world, every civilization and culture will grow in goodness:
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