Jonathan Edwards Question

I have been doing a bit of study on eschatology, especially where it comes to the views of Reformed theologians such as Jonathan Edwards. It is no secret that Jonathan Edwards was Postmil in his eschatology. He actually wrote only one commentary on the Bible and that was on the book of Revelation.
I was researching this subject and came across an old thread on the subject and was attracted to something J_Edwards said, which can be found at:
http://the-highway.com/forum/ubbthreads.php/topics/33531/Dating_the_Epistles_of_Joh

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Historicist

Alford, Henry. The Revelation . Alf. London: Cambridge, 1884
Barnes, Albert. Revelation in Notes on the New Testament; Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1884–85
Calvin, John.
Clarke, Adam. Adam Clarke’s Commentary on the Holy Bible: Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1967
Edwards, Jonathan
Elliott, E.B. Horae Apocalypticae . 4 vols. Eng. tr. 3d ed. London: Seeley, Burnside, and Seeley, 1828
Gill, John. Commentary of the Whole Bible.
Henry, Matthew. Acts to Revelation, vol. 6 in Matthew Henry’s Commentary on the Whole Bible: Old Tappan, N.J.: Fleming H. Revell
Knox, John.
Ladd, George E. A Commentary on the Revelation of John . Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972. (Historical premillennial, some classify as more futurist, others as preterist-futurist! He is difficult to categorize)
Luther, Martin.
Newton, Sir Issac: The Prophecies of Daniel & the Aopcalypse. 1733.
Torrey, R. A. The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge: Old Tappan, NJ.: Fleming H. Revell (Historical premillennialist)
Spurgeon, C H is classified as a Historicist: Keep this in mind when reading his sermons on the Revelation
Wesley, John.
Whitefield, George

I was sharing this with a good friend of mine and this is the answer at got back.

Quote

How could Edwards be both a Historicist and Postmillennial?

Seeing this is not my area of specialty, I thought I would put out his question to the board.

Please note, I have done a little additional research and many of the sites I have gone through, have people like Edwards and Spurgeon as either Preterists, or Partial Preterists.

Tom

I believe Edwards was a bona fide Postmillennialist and Spurgeon was a card carrying Historical Premillennialist. Seeing certain prophesies in Scripture as being fulfilled historically by specific people and/or events is part and parcel of every view. The extent to which someone does this will determine which eschatalogical 'camp' they fit into.

Where would they differ on their end time views then?

Perhaps I am speaking out of turn, but the main thing we must keep in mind of many of these preachers/theologians is this "Eschatology was a lesser focus of their theology!".
I will not say that it was an afterthought in full, but it was, certainly, a lesser concern.
This is NOT to state that their theology was immature or infantile. Not at all! It is simply to state that their larger focus was on other areas of theology, with Eschatology being a secondary or tertiary concern.
M

I actually think you are correct about them believing eschatology as tertiary. That is the way I think of it as well, except where an eschatological view changes the way one views soteriology.
I found out a while back, that there was a former pastor at our Church that was fired because he was A-mil.
Back then, the Church was very Dispensational and it did not sit well with many of the most influential members. Most of these members no longer attend, and the Church is now closer to its Reformed Baptist roots than ever before because of the influence of my pastor, who accepted the job with the idea of preaching the way he believed. My pastor actually is a Historic Premil; but I don't hold that against him. Lol
Tom

Some of the reformers never really wrote that much on eschatology, as they were much more concerned with getting the real Gospel across, as against the false one of the Church of Rome. That was their "bread and butter".