The New Testament scholar James M. Hamilton uses the expression “roll back the curse” in a couple of places, e.g., Work and Our Labor in the Lord (2017) and in the essay, ‘The Mystery of Marriage” in a 2010 Festschrift for John Piper, both times with reference to the work of Christ for us. One sees this expression used this way here and there.

Over the last week, on social media, there has been some discussion of an essay entitled “The Second Eve: How Christian Women Undo The Curse.” This expression, “undo the curse,” is a provocative way to speak and is used in modern authors in two ways: 1) with reference to Christ’s work for us; 2) with reference to our work in this world. The New Testament scholar James M. Hamilton uses the expression “roll back the curse” in a couple of places, e.g., Work and Our Labor in the Lord (2017) and in the essay, ‘The Mystery of Marriage” in a 2010 Festschrift for John Piper, both times with reference to the work of Christ for us. One sees this expression used this way here and there (e.g., a 2013 study guide on Isaiah by Drew Hunter). In conjunction with Fathers’ Day 2019, however, Russell Moore used the same expression to describe the benefit of fathers in “How Fathers Help Roll Back The Curse.” Jankovic’s essay then, may be considered a sort of Mothers’ Day companion to Moore’s. The latter’s essay focuses on the ways fathers mitigate the effects of the curse, though the title might seem to promise more than that. Jankovic’s essay, however, seeks to combine the two notions, Christ as the one in whom the curse is rolled back and women who contribute to that work:

Ultimately, the curse is broken in the person of Christ Jesus. In his death we see what we deserved; in his resurrection we see what we have been given in him. We have a final answer to the curse. But God did not undo the curse in one moment — rather, it is like leaven that a woman took and hid in three measures of flour (Matthew 13:33). It works its way out slowly, constantly, without ceasing.

This is a kind of inaugurated eschatology. That is a mouthful that needs an explanation. Eschatology is the study of last things. It is also, however, the study of the relations between heaven and earth. It is closely connected to the study of the unfolding history of history of redemption, the study of how the promises, types, and shadows of the Old Testament were fulfilled in the New Testament.

To inaugurate is to begin something. When a president is elected he is sworn into office and gives an inaugural address. This is the formal beginning of the new administration of the federal government. Jankovic here seems to say that Christ inaugurated or began the process of undoing or rolling back the curse but we participate in that process too. To understand why she speaks thus we need some background.

Three Kinds Of Eschatology

Broadly there are three Christian views of eschatology:

1. Chiliasm.

Traditionally the chiliasts looked for a literal, earthly millennial (1,000 year) reign of Christ on the earth. There were notable chiliasts in the early church, who took Revelation 20:6 to refer to a literal millennial period: “Blessed and holy is the one who shares in the first resurrection! Over such the second death has no power, but they will be priests of God and of Christ, and they will reign with him for a thousand years” (ESV). After the first millennium passed, it became a little more difficult for some to hold to chiliasm but the belief persists to this day. There are multiple varieties of chiliasm (or premillennialism) today: historic premillennialism (ancient chiliasm) and the more popular varieties associated with Dispensationalism, e.g., pre-tribulation premillennialism. This version is more elaborate and looks forward to a secret rapture, multiple returns of Christ, the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem, and the re-institution of memorial sacrifices while Christ sits on the throne for 1,000 years.

2. Amillennialism.

Though the category “amillennial” (lit. “no millennium”) did not exist formally until the early 20th century, the idea has existed since the early church. Contrary to the story that many learned about the early church, not all the orthodox Christians in the early church were chiliasts. Some were non-chiliasts and those we today call “amillennialists.” They read Revelation 20:6 to be one symbolic expression among a sea of symbolic, figurative expressions in the most consistently symbolic book in the entire Bible. Amillennialism became widely held in the medieval and Reformation eras. According to amillennialism, Revelation 20:6 is a figurative reference to Christ’s present reign over his church, which shall be consummated at his return. They do not anticipate an earthly golden age but reserve that state entirely for the new heavens and the new earth.

3. Postmillennialism.

The third type of Christian eschatology which has waxed and waned, particularly since the early 17th century (when chiliasm also made a comeback in orthodox Reformed circles) has come to be known as postmillennialism. There is some confusion about postmillennialism since the formal category amillennial  did not exist until the early 20th century. Thus, anyone who was not chiliast is categorized as postmillennial. Retrospectively, we can now see that some of those who were once designated as postmillennial were actually amillennial. To be sure, there are ways in which it can be difficult to tell the two apart. Both take Revelation 20:6 to be figurative. Both hold that Christ is reigning now, that, by the power of his Word and Spirit he is calling his elect to new life and true faith. Some of the distinguishing characteristics are the circumstances surrounding their eschatology. The postmillennialists tend to be very optimistic about the consequences of Christ’s present reign for this world. Whereas some of the Reformed looked forward to a future mass conversion of Jews to faith in Christ, the postmillennialists look forward to a mass conversion of humanity to faith in Christ and to a kind of glorious age on the earth preceding the return of Christ. In this respect, the postmillennialists are like the chiliasts. To muddy things a bit, there are those who call themselves “optimistic amillennialists” who substantially agree with the postmillennialists.

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