Eschatology, or the study of end times, can be a
source of frustration for believers to comprehend. I definitely include
myself in that group. This page will attempt to make sense of the
competing views about what is going to happen in regards to Christ's
return and the various future events. This page is not intended to favor
one view over another, but to lay out the four major views regarding the
return of Jesus Christ, the Rapture, the Tribulation and the Millennium.
Bible-believing Christians can come out on this topic with a wide range
of views.
Some doctrines taught in the Bible are very
clear and leave no room for interpretation, others like eschatology,
leave plenty of room for discussion when it comes to future events, and
the order of those events. This can be a friendly in-house debate among
all who love the Lord and eagerly await His return.
If you are looking for me to make a strong case
for one view over another, that's not going to happen. As I write this,
I'm not prepared to be dogmatic, but I lean towards being an "Amillennialist".
That could change tomorrow with one convincing opposing argument.
There are three things I can say with 100%
assurance -
-
Jesus is coming back (Revelation 22).
-
We don't know when that will happen
(Matthew 24:36).
-
Be ready at all times (Matthew 24:44).
Glossary of Terms
*
Eschatology
- The study of the 'last things' or 'end times'.
*
Millennium
- The "thousand year" reign of Christ described in Revelation 20.
*
Olivet Discourse
- Christ's prophetic discourse recorded in Matthew 24-25. It is a reply
to His disciples' questions about the destruction of the temple, the end
of the age, and His return.
*
Partial-Preterism & Full Preterism
- Are eschatological viewpoints that places many (partial), or all
(full), of the
eschatological events in the past, especially during the destruction of
Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
*
Postmillennialism
- The view which holds that the Kingdom of God is now being extended in
the world through the preaching of the Gospel, and the saving work of
the Holy Spirit. Christ will return after a long period of righteousness
called the Millennium.
*
Amillennialism
- The word literally means "no millennium", but most advocates of this
system refer to the millennium as the period between the ascension of
Christ and the loosing of Satan. During the millennium, there will be an
advancement of both good and evil. With the loosing of Satan comes a
time of intense persecution of the church, followed by the glorious
return of Christ.
*
Premillennialism
- The view that Christ will return to earth to establish an earthly,
millennial kingdom, over which He will reign from an earthly throne.
*
Dispensationalism
- The view that human history is divided into dispensations (different
periods) where God treats humanity according to a governing principle
particular to that dispensation. Accordingly, a strong distinction is
made between Israel and the Church.
*
Rapture
- The word literally means "to snatch away". It is the raising of those
who are alive when the dead are resurrected. According to
dispensationalists, this is the coming of Christ in the air for His
saints prior to the Tribulation.
*
The Tribulation
- The dispensational belief in a 7 year period of earthly troubles that
occurs between the coming of Christ for His saints and the coming of
Christ with His saints. This 7 year period is associated with the 70th
week of Daniel's prophecy.
Biblical Eschatology: The
End Times - A Summary
I. Signs of the End
A. Signs
indicating God's judgment
(Matthew 24:6-8; Mark 13:7-8; Luke 21:9-11; 21:25-26; Joel 2:30-31).
1. Wars
2. Earthquakes
3. Famines and pestilences
B. Signs indicating opposition to God
1. Tribulation/Persecution
(Matthew 24:9; Mark 13:9-13; Luke 21:12-19; see also Matthew 5:10-12; John 15:18-20; 16:33; 2 Timothy 3:1-9
2. Apostasy (Falling away)
(Matthew 24:10-12; 24:24; Mark 13:22; 1 Timothy 4:1; Luke 21:34-36;
2 Thessalonians 2:3)
3. Antichrist
a.
Many antichrists (Matthew 24:5; 24:23-24; Mark 13:6; 13:21-22; Luke 21:8; 1 John 2:18, 22; 4:3; 2 John 1:7)
b.
One Antichrist (Daniel 7:8, 11, 20, 21, 24, 25; 11:36-45;
2 Thessalonians 2; 1 John 2:18; 4:3; Revelation 17-18
C. Sign Indicating God's Grace!
1. The proclamation of the
Gospel to all nations (Matthew 24:14; Mark 13:10)
D. Signs Indicating the Imminence of
Christ's Second Coming
1. The Great Tribulation
(Daniel 12:1; Ezekiel 38-39; Zechariah 14:1-2; Matthew 24:21, 29; Mark 13:14-27; Luke 21:20-28; Revelation 9:13-19; 11:7-10; 16:12-16; 19:19; 20:7-9). This great tribulation is also referred to as the "battle of Armageddon."
2. Cataclysmic signs in the
heavens and on the earth (Isaiah 34:4; Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24-25;
Luke 21:25-26)
II. The Second Advent of Jesus Christ
A. Christ will come visibly and all people will
see Him (Matthew 24:27,30; Luke 17:22-24; 21:27; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Acts 1:11; Revelation 1:7)
B. Christ will come in glory surrounded by the
host of His angels (Matthew 13:39-49; 16:27; 24:31; 25:31;
2 Thessalonians 1:7; Revelation 19:11-14; Titus 2:13; Jude 1:14,24;
1 Peter 4:13)
C. When Christ returns, a bodily resurrection of
all the dead will take place. Believers will be raised to salvation and
unbelievers to damnation (John 5:27-29; 6:39,40,44,54; 1 Corinthians 15:12-57; Daniel 12:1-2;
Revelation 14:14-20; Revelation 20:11-15). All believers, both dead
and living, will be "caught up" (raptured) to "meet the Lord in the air"
(1 Thessalonians 4:13-17). Death will be destroyed (1 Corinthians 15:26; 15:54-57; Revelation 20:14)
The Wheat and the tares grow together until the harvest (Matthew 13:18-23;
Matthew 13:25-30; Matthew 13:39-43)
D. When Christ returns, He will judge all
people, both the living and the dead (Matthew 25:31-46; John 5:27;
Acts 10:42; 17:31; Romans 2:16; 2 Timothy 4:1,8; Jude 1:14-15;
Revelation 20:11-15). Believers will receive eternal salvation and unbelievers
eternal damnation (Matthew 25:31-46; 1 Peter 1:4-7; 5:4; 1 John 3:2;
Hebrews 9:28; 2 Corinthians 5:10; 2 Thessalonians 1:6-10). Satan and
Antichrist will be destroyed (2 Thessalonians 2:8; Revelation 20:10).
When exactly the different judgments take place is a matter of debate
(see: The Judgments).
E. When Christ returns, a "new heavens and a new
earth" will be created (2 Peter 3:10-13; Isaiah 65:17; 66:22; Psalm 102:25-27; Hebrews 1:10-12). Nowhere, however in the New Testament do
the Scriptures teach that at His return, Christ will establish a
literal, 1000 year, political millennial kingdom on earth similar to the
Kingdom of God passages in the Old Testament.
F. No one but God the Father knew the day of
Christ's Second Coming while Jesus lived on earth (Matthew 24:36; 1 Thessalonians 5; 2 Peter 3;
Acts 1:7). Therefore no one should attempt to calculate the exact day -
a fruitless attempt anyway. We are to be prepared for Him to come at any
time - not calculate! The reason that Jesus is "taking such a long time
to return" is beautifully stated in 2 Peter 3:9: "The Lord is not slow
about His promise as some count slowness, but is forbearing toward you,
not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach
repentance."
Additional Comments
(1) There is nothing in Jesus' words to indicate
that these signs will only occur at the end of time. In addition many of
the signs mentioned were already present in the First Century: wars,
earthquakes, famines, persecution and apostasy were all there from the
beginning. Even the sign of the Gospel being preached in all the
inhabited earth is said by Paul to have been fulfilled in the First
Century (see Colossians 1:23; Romans 10:18). Furthermore, Jesus
specifically states that several signs are merely "birth pangs" - but
the end is not yet (Mark 13:7-8; Matthew 24:7-8). The whole point is
that Christians of every generation be watchful, seriously expecting
Christ's return at any time.
(2) The signs will not necessarily be miraculous
or spectacular. The very fact that Jesus and the apostles constantly
urge us to be watchful, indicates that the signs will appear somewhat
normal to the uninformed observer. Furthermore, the statement that the
"day of the Lord" will come as thief in the night (Matthew 24:43;
1 Thessalonians 5:2-4; 2 Peter 3:10) and the comparison with the Flood and
Sodom and Gomorrah (Luke 17:26-37) also indicate the sudden and
unexpected nature of Christ's return. Bottom line: the signs will not be
obvious.
(3) The Scriptures do seem to suggest that
tribulation for the Church will intensify toward the end (Daniel 12:1;
Ezekiel 38-39; Matthew 24:21; 2 Timothy 3). Satan's "little season" and
the battle described in Revelation 20 indicate this intensifying
tribulation. However this battle, and the battle of Armageddon
(Revelation 16:12-16 - Armageddon is the Greek transliteration of the
Hebrew har megiddo "hill of Megiddo," and expression that may allude to
the famous battles which took place there in the Old Testament; see
Judges 5:19; 2 Kings 9:27; 23:29-30). In view of the nature of
apocalyptic literature, which often uses picture language to describe
truths, the verses about the battle of Armageddon should not necessarily
be interpreted literally as if they referred to the final world war in
the Middle East, between 20th or 21st Century nations. Nor should this
final tribulation be understood as necessarily lasting 3.5 or 7 years,
since the numbers in Daniel and Revelation may also be symbolic.
(4) The New Testament teaches two things about
antichrist. First, it teaches that Christians have faced and will face
many antichrists, i.e., all those who claim to be Christ (the Greek anti
means "in place of") and hence, oppose Him (See Scriptural references in
the verses in the outline above). Second, the Bible teaches that there
will be one, climactic Antichrist, at the end of time, though his
"spirit" was already on the scene at the time of John (see: 1 John 2:18; 4:3; 2 Thessalonians 2; see also the references to the "beast" in
Revelation 17-18, which many exegetes regard as referring to the
Antichrist). His coming will indicate that the end is near. In 2 Thessalonians 2 and 1 John 2:4 we find the marks of this Antichrist, by
which he can be identified:
(a) He will take his seat in
the "temple of God" - a reference to the Christian Church (2 Corinthians 6:16; Ephesians 2:21; 1 Timothy 3:15);
(b) He is not Satan himself
but operates "by the activity of Satan;" (2 Thessalonians 2:9);
(c) Will oppose all other
gods and claim to be God;
(d) He will practice signs
and wonders in order to deceive;
(e) He will deny Christ and
persecute Christians.
(5) The English word rapture is derived from
the Latin translation of the verb "caught up" in 1 Thessalonians 4:17 (rapiemur).
It refers to what Paul describes in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, that all
Christians, living and dead, will be caught up (raptured up) to meet
Christ in the air at His second coming. This being caught up is also
alluded to in Luke 17:30-35, where Christ tells His disciples, that when
the Son of Man is revealed, "one will be taken and the other left."
There is no Scriptural evidence, however, to back up the claim that some
believers will be raptured long before Christ's Second coming. Rather
the only evidence we have tells us that Christ's coming, the
resurrection of all the dead, and the rapture will happen
simultaneously. Of course, when believers are "caught up" to meet the
Lord in the air, unbelievers who are living at that time will be left
(momentarily).
At the Second Coming: Just as citizens in ancient times
ran out to meet their king as he approached their city, the church will
be caught up in the rapture to meet Jesus in the air and will then
immediately return with him to the earth as a heavenly entourage
accompanying their King. (1 Thessalonians 4:15-18; 1 Corinthians 15:50-55).
The Four Major Views of Christ's
Second Coming
Amillennialism
Definition:
The amillennialist believes that the Kingdom of
God was inaugurated at Christ's resurrection (hence the term
"inaugurated millennialism") at which point he gained victory over both
Satan and the Curse. Christ is even now reigning (hence the term "nunc-millennialism"
- nunc means "now") at the right hand of the Father over His church.
After this present age has ended, Christ will return and immediately
usher the church into their eternal state after judging the wicked. The
term "amillennialism" is actually a misnomer for it implies that
Revelation 20:1-6 is ignored; in fact, the amillennialist's hermeneutic
interprets it (and in fact, much of apocalyptic literature)
non-literally.
Beliefs:
-
The New Testament church becomes the Israel of God through faith
(Galatians 6:16).
-
Satan was bound during Jesus' earthly ministry, restraining him while
the gospel is being preached in the world (Matthew 12:28-29; Luke 10:18, 19;
John 12:31; Colossians 2:15; Hebrews 2:14-15; 1 John 3:8).
-
The Kingdom of God is a present reality as the victorious Christ is now
ruling His people by His Word and Spirit (Luke 17:20, 21; Matthew 12:24-29;
Luke 11:20).
-
The Kingdom of God is essentially redemptive and spiritual in character
rather than political and physical (John 18:36).
-
The millennium (and the "first resurrection") in Revelation 20:4-6 describes
the present reign of the souls of deceased believers with Christ in
heaven (Hoekma).
-
The millennium is the period between the two comings of Christ, or, more
strictly, between the return of the ascended Son to glory, his mission
to earth completed, and the loosing of Satan 'for a little while'
(Hughes).
-
In contrast to postmillennialism, amillennialists do not believe that
the Scripture predicts a golden age in the world prior to Christ's
return.
-
There will be a progressive maturation of the forces of, both, good and
evil (Matthew 13:24-30; 37-43; 47-50). (agrees with premillennialism)
-
A time of great apostasy will be experienced immediately prior to
Christ's return (Revelation 20:7-8).
-
Some amillennialists believe the apostasy will be led by "the
Antichrist", while other amillennialists, noting that the word
"Antichrist" fails to occur in Revelation, believe that the "Beast" of
Revelation was a contemporary of John's day (Revelation 13:11-18).
-
Although the kingdom of God is a present reality, Amillennialists also
look forward to a future, glorious, and kingdom that is perfected for
eternity at the return of Christ (Hoekma).
-
Christ will return and resurrect all people at the same time (John 5:25-30).
-
The general judgment will follow.
-
The new heaven and new earth will be established for all eternity.
Features and Distinctions:
-
Favored method of interpretation: redemptive-historical.
-
Israel and the church: The church is the eschatological fulfillment of
Israel.
-
Kingdom of God: a spiritual reality that all Christians partake in and
that is seen presently by faith, but will be grasped by sight at the
consummation.
-
The Rapture: The saints, living and dead, shall meet the Lord in the
clouds and immediately proceed to judge the nations with Christ and then
follow Him into their eternal state.
-
The Millennium: inaugurated with Christ's resurrection. In an
"already/not yet" sense, Christ already reigns over all and is already
victorious over Satan.
-
Miscellaneous:
-
Higher degrees of interpreting prophecy in light of Christ's advent,
death, resurrection, and glorification.
-
Relies heavily on a two-age theology.
-
The Analogy of Faith and Biblical Theology
The analogy of faith is a principle for the
interpretation of Scripture, which can be expressed
as "Scripture interprets Scripture". The fundamental
principle of biblical theology is that of
progressive revelation, which states that God
reveals Himself in increasing measure throughout
history, and that His revelation climaxes in the
person of His Son, Jesus Christ.
As a result of these principles, we expect the New
Testament to interpret to the Old, all the while
showing us God, in Christ, more clearly.
-
The Kingdom of God
The term “Kingdom of God,” often conjures up many
different ideas and understandings. The following
explanation by Dr. Williams gives further insight
into what students at Covenant Seminary learn about
this amazing truth.
As Gordon J. Spykman said, “Nothing matters but the
Kingdom, but because of the Kingdom, everything,
literally everything, matters.” The biblical image
of the Kingdom of God immediately calls up
conceptions of God’s sovereign rule and dominion
over creation, His providential guiding of our lives
and the affairs of nations, and His rightful
authority over all things. While the phrase “the
Kingdom of God” does not occur in the Old Testament,
the theme of God’s sovereign and righteous rule is
pervasive in its pages and stands at the heart of
the Old Testament message. As the Great King calls
his creation Kingdom into existence, orders it, and
appoints a place for every creature—and all by the
sheer authority of his kingly command (Genesis 1)—so
God rules over his people Israel (Psalm 97; 99;
Isaiah 44:6; 52:7), the nations (Psalm 96), and the whole of
creation (Psalm 47:2; Psalm 104; 145). That God is King
over the whole universe, ranging from nature and
history to every dimension of human life is
everywhere acknowledged and celebrated (Psalm 93:1; 97:1; 99:1;
1 Chronicles 29:11; Daniel 4:3;4:34-35).
That God is the King, and that his creatures are
subject to his kingly authority is the basic
assumption of the biblical depiction of sin. Adam
and Eve’s sin in the garden was nothing less than
their rebellion against God’s rightful rule over
them. Rather than listen to, live within, and live
out God’s good will for them, all of humanity
rejected God’s kingship in favor of their own
desires. The garden rebellion introduced a rival
regime into human history, a reign of sin and death
that would subjugate humanity, bring discord into
the world, and incur the judgment of God.
While God remains the rightful Lord over all things
and upholds his creational word, the entrance of sin
into the world means that God will relate to sinful
humanity through judgment, crushing the rebellion of
sin (Genesis 3:15). But in his mercy God declares that
judgment is insufficient by itself. He graciously
promises to restore his creation Kingdom. If
judgment is the defeat of powers contentious of
God’s rule, then redemption is nothing less than the
restoration of God’s proper kingship over his
creatures. When all sinful insurrection is put down
and all its effects upon the world and its
inhabitants are remediated, then, as theologian
Graeme Goldsworthy says, “the renewing process of
redemption will result in the fullness of the
Kingdom of God.”
The fullness of the Kingdom will see the overthrow
of the wicked and the coming of justice for the
oppressed. Peace will come to the nations, and the
land will be fruitful beyond imagining. Rejoicing
among God’s people will replace the shame and
dishonor of sin. All of this will take place within
a renewed creation that is free from death and pain
(Isaiah 61). Quoting from Isaiah 61 and its promise of
the coming renewal of creation, Jesus proclaims that
in His person and work the Kingdom of God has come
(Luke 4:18-21; Matthew 3:1-2; 12:28). Although the
Kingdom has not yet arrived in its fullness and we
remain in a world that is yet to be delivered from
the influence of sin and demonic powers (2 Corinthians 4:4), in Christ the old age is passing away in the
coming of the new (2 Corinthians 5:17), the fullness of
time has begun (Galatians 4:4), and today is the day of
God’s salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2).
In Jesus—God’s Messiah, the promised Davidic
King—the Kingdom of God is present as an
anticipation of the coming restoration of creation.
The Gospel of the Kingdom is that the crucified and
risen Jesus is Lord of the world. A distinctive
belief of the Reformed tradition is that Christ is
Lord over all things, and, thus, the coming Kingdom
of God lays claim to all of reality. Just as all the
fullness of the Creator God resided in Jesus of
Nazareth, so by his atoning death and resurrection
Jesus guarantees a healed and renewed creation.
Through him God has reconciled to himself all
things, whether on earth or in heaven (Colossians 1:19-20;
compare Ephesians 1:9-10; 2 Corinthians 5:18-19;
Romans 8:19-21; Matthew 19:28). “Exalted to the right hand of God,”
Jesus reigns as Lord over all and subdues all of His
enemies (Acts 2:32-36; compare Philippians 2:9-11). His
kingship embraces all things—in heaven and on
earth—covering all creatures and dimensions of life.
As Matthew 28:18 states, “all authority in heaven
and on earth has been given to [him].” The cross is
good news not just for the individual sinner but for
all of creation, for every dimension of creaturely
existence that has been touched by sin. A s Jesus
has come into the world to subjugate the powers that
stand allied against God’s rule (1 John 3:8), so the
gospel lays royal claim to all that sin and evil
have touched.
As God is the rightful King over all the earth, so
the kingship of Jesus is equal in scope. Nothing is
excluded from the reach of his dominion. Reductions
of Christ’s kingship to the private sphere, the
inner “religious” life, or the ecclesial are to be
rejected. The modern dichotomy between the sacred
and the secular, politics and religion, the
spiritual and the common, would have made no sense
to people living in biblical times because for them
all of life was lived before God. Because Jesus
reigns over all, all of life is religious. The
Kingdom of God is just as relevant to business as it
is to family nurture; just as appropriate to
citizenship as it is to churchmanship; and the
kingship of God just as relevant to the arts,
education, and the sciences as it is to personal
devotion and worship.
Here then is the key to Christian identity. Being a
believer in Jesus Christ means seeking the Kingdom
of God (Matthew 6:33) because God “has delivered us
from the domain of darkness and transferred us to
the Kingdom of his beloved Son” (Colossians 1:13 ESV). The
people of God have been redeemed for a purpose, a
mission—to participate in the coming of the Kingdom,
the redemption of God’s whole creation from the
wreckage of sin and evil.
The people of God are called to witness to the
Kingdom, to be posters and advertisements for the
redemptive grace and creational normativity of the
righteous rule of God. As people who, in Christ and
by the power of his indwelling Spirit, worship God,
the church is called to fly the flag of the coming
Kingdom in its proclamation of the gospel and its
search for human wholeness in justice and
righteousness. This suggests that every calling in
life is to be brought under the lordship of Christ
and is to serve and proclaim his Kingdom. Neither
the Kingdom nor the vocations into which God has
called us can be limited by the institutional
boundaries of the church. The people of God worship
on Sunday as a witness of God’s Kingdom to the
world. On Monday morning, we go to school and work,
we keep house and play, we visit and vote, and we do
this all as people who wait for and hasten the
coming day of God (2 Peter 3:12). The church is the
locus, the “beachhead” of the Kingdom (that place
where God’s rule is seen by a world seeking a word
of grace), but the Kingdom’s field of operation is
wider than the church because it aims at the
dominion of God in every sphere of human endeavor.
Thus Paul can instruct the church: “So, whether you
eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the
glory of God” (1 Corinthians 10:31 ESV).
-
Major proponents: Augustine, Martin Luther, John Calvin, Abraham Kuyper,
J.I. Packer, Meredith Kline, Richard Gaffin, Robert B. Strimple, Gregory
K. Beale, and John Murray.
Postmillennialism
Definition:
The postmillennialist believes that the
millennium is an era (not a literal thousand years) during which Christ
will reign over the earth, not from an literal and earthly throne, but
through the gradual increase of the Gospel and its power to change
lives. After this gradual Christianization of the world, Christ will
return and immediately usher the church into their eternal state after
judging the wicked. This is called postmillennialism because, by its
view, Christ will return after the millennium.
Beliefs:
-
The New Testament church becomes the Israel of God (Galatians 6:16). (agrees
with Amillennialism)
-
The Kingdom of God is a present reality. (agrees with Amillennialism)
-
The Kingdom of God is essentially redemptive and spiritual in character
rather than political and physical. (agrees with Amillennialism)
-
The Holy Spirit will gradually bring about a period of virtual triumph
of true Christianity before Christ returns. (opposes Amillennialism)
-
The millennium will close with the second coming of Christ. (agrees with
Amillennialism)
-
The Resurrection will be general--all people at the same time. (agrees
with Amillennialism)
-
The general judgment will follow. (agrees with Amillennialism)
-
Then the eternal kingdom will begin. (agrees with Amillennialism)
Features and Distinctions:
-
Favored method of interpretation: covenant-historical.
-
Israel and the church: the church is the fulfillment of Israel.
-
Kingdom of God: a spiritual entity experienced on earth through the
Christianizing affect of the Gospel.
-
The Millennium: a Golden Age previous to Christ's second advent during
which Christ will virtually rule over the whole earth through an
unprecedented spread of the Gospel; the large majority of people will be
Christian.
-
Miscellaneous:
-
Higher degrees of interpreting First Century events in the light of
prophecy; preterism often goes hand-in-hand with postmillennialism.
- Of the
several versions of postmillennial eschatology, the reconstructionists
seems to be gaining the most popularity in the world today.
-
Major proponents: Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, B.B. Warfield,
R.L. Dabney, Lorraine Boettner, R.C. Sproul, Greg L. Bahnsen, Kenneth L.
Gentry Jr., David Chilton, and Gary North.
Dispensational Premillennialism
Definition:
Dispensational premillennialists hold that
Christ will come before a seven-year period of intense tribulation to
take His church (living and dead) into heaven. After this period of
fulfillment of divine wrath, He shall then return to rule from a holy
city (The New Jerusalem) over the earthly nations for one thousand
years. After these thousand years, Satan, who was bound up during
Christ's earthly reign, will be loosed to deceive the nations, gather an
army of the deceived, and take up to battle against the Lord. This
battle will end in both the judgment of the wicked and Satan and the
entrance into the eternal state of glory by the righteous. This view is
called premillennialism because it places the return of Christ before the
millennium and it is called dispensational because it is founded in the
doctrines of Dispensationalism.
Beliefs:
-
The promises made to Abraham and David are unconditional and, in no
sense have these promises been fulfilled by the Church.
-
It follows, therefore, that God has separate programs for the Church and
Israel.
-
The church is scarcely, if at all, in the OT prophets.
-
Jesus Christ came to offer an earthly kingdom to Israel.
-
The Jews, however, rejected the offer and had Jesus crucified.
-
Jesus is coming again to "rapture" the Church and to finally establish
the earthly kingdom promised to Israel.
-
This second coming occurs in 2 stages.
-
First comes the 'Rapture', when Christ comes for the saints and they are
caught up to meet Him in the air.
-
Second comes Jesus' return to earth, when He comes with His saints--also
known as 'The Appearing'.
-
Between these 2 events is Daniel's 70th week - the 7 years known as the
Tribulation Daniel 9:24-27).
-
There are, at least 3 resurrections: of the righteous before the
millennium (at the rapture), of the unrighteous after the millennium,
and of the 'tribulation saints' (those who turn to Christ during the
Tribulation) at 'the appearing'.
Features and Distinctions:
-
Favored method of interpretation: strict literal.
-
Israel and the church: views church and Israel as two distinct
identities with two individual redemptive plans.
-
The rapture of the Church: The church is raptured before a seven-year
tribulation (the seventieth week of Daniel - Daniel 9:24-27). This
tribulational period contains the reign of the Antichrist.
-
Millennium: Christ will return at the end of the great tribulation to
institute a thousand-year rule from a holy city (The New Jerusalem).
Those who come to believe in Christ during the seventieth week of Daniel
(including the 144,000 Jews) and survive will go on to populate the
earth during this time. Those who were raptured or raised previous to
the tribulational period will reign with Christ over the millennial
population.
-
Miscellaneous:
-
Higher degrees of interpreting present-day events in the light of
end-times prophecy.
-
The Millennium will see the re-establishment of temple worship and
sacrifice as a remembrance of Christ's sacrifice.
-
From the millennium-ending "white throne" judgment (by which Satan and
all unbelievers will be thrown into the lake of fire) Christ and all
saints will proceed into eternal glory.
-
Major proponents: Charles Ryrie, Norman Geisler, Charles Stanley, Chuck
Smith, Gleason Archer, Hal Lindsey, John MacArthur, Tim LaHaye and Chuck
Missler.
Historic Premillennialism
Definition:
Historical premillennialists place the return of
Christ just before the millennium and just after a time of great
apostasy and tribulation. After the millennium, Satan will be loosed and
Gog and Magog will rise against the kingdom of God; this will be
immediately followed by the final judgment. While similar in some
respects to the dispensational variety (in that they hold to Christ's
return being previous the establishment of a thousand-year earthly
reign), historical premillennialism differs in significant ways (notably
in their method of interpreting Scripture).
Beliefs:
-
The Church was foreseen in the Old Testament prophecy. (opposes
Dispensationalism)
-
Christ's First Advent was for the purpose of dying for humanity's sins
and not to set up the kingdom of the Jews. (opposes Dispensationalism)
-
The Second Advent will be one event, as opposed to the two part formula
of dispensationalism (the coming for the saints and the coming with the
saints).
-
Christ will return before a literal millennium. (agrees with
Dispensationalism)
-
The Church will go through the tribulation (Matthew 24:3-22). (opposes
Dispensationalism)
-
There will be 2 resurrections--the righteous before the millennium; the
unrighteous after the millennium. (opposes Dispensationalism)
Features and Distinctions:
-
Favored method of interpretation: grammatico-historical.
-
Israel and the church: The church is the fulfillment of Israel.
-
Kingdom of God: present through the Spirit since Pentecost - to be
experienced by sight and to the fullest degree during the millennium
after Christ's return.
-
The Rapture: The saints, living and dead, shall meet the Lord in the
clouds immediately preceding the millennial reign.
-
The Millennium: Christ will return to institute a thousand-year reign on
earth. Some believe that during the Millennium a re-establishment of
temple worship and sacrifice in remembrance of Christ's sacrifice will
be set up. Others believe that Christ's millennial kingdom will be a
heavenly reign.
-
Major proponents: Lactantius, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, George Eldon
Ladd, Walter Martin, John Warwick Montgomery, and Theodore Zahn.
Taken and revised from "The End Times: A study
of Eschatology and Millennialism" A Report of the CTCR of the Lutheran
Church Missouri Synod, September, 1989.
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