Jesus promised He would return.
John 14:1-3,  “Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. 2 In my Father’s house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? 3 And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also."

Angels confirmed His promise and testified to its truthfulness.
Acts 1:9-11,  And when he had said these things, as they were looking on, he was lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight. 10 And while they were gazing into heaven as he went, behold, two men stood by them in white robes, 11 and said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into heaven? This Jesus, who was taken up from you into heaven, will come in the same way as you saw him go into heaven.”

When Jesus returns every eye shall see Him.
Revelation 1:7, Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

His return shall be like lightning flashing across the sky.
Matthew 24:27, For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

It will be an audible event. The righteous dead will be resurrected and along with the righteous living caught up in the sky.
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

NOTE: 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 Thess. 4:15-18; 1 Cor. 15:50-55).

God will clothe His people with immortality.
1 Corinthians 15:51-54, Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

His return shall be a glorious event. He comes with His reward.
Matthew 16:27, For the Son of Man is going to come with his angels in the glory of his Father, and then he will repay each person according to what he has done.

The unrighteous wicked fear His coming and cry for the rocks to fall upon them.
Revelation 6:14-17, The sky vanished like a scroll that is being rolled up, and every mountain and island was removed from its place. 15 Then the kings of the earth and the great ones and the generals and the rich and the powerful, and everyone, slave and free, hid themselves in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains, 16 calling to the mountains and rocks, “Fall on us and hide us from the face of him who is seated on the throne, and from the wrath of the Lamb, 17 for the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

The evil are purged out of His kingdom by fire and the righteous saved for all eternity.
Matthew 13:37-43, He answered, “The one who sows the good seed is the Son of Man. 38 The field is the world, and the good seed is the sons of the kingdom. The weeds are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels. 40 Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the end of the age. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will gather out of his kingdom all causes of sin and all law-breakers, 42 and throw them into the fiery furnace. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth. 43 Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

The righteous are delighted to see Him come. They joyfully exclaim “Lo, this is our God…”
Isaiah 25:9, It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.”

As King of Kings leading the armies of heaven, He returns as triumphant Lord.
Revelation 19:11-16, Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.

His coming is called the “blessed hope” of mankind.
Titus 2:13, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ,

Jesus' final invitation to prepare for His soon return.
Revelation 22:11-20, Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end.” 14 Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and that they may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs and sorcerers and the sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you about these things for the churches. I am the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price. 18 I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book, 19 and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book. 20 He who testifies to these things says, “Surely I am coming soon.” Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!

The Kingdom is taken away from the Jews and given to the Church made up of both Jews and Gentiles.

Matthew 21:43, Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people producing its fruits.

Matthew 21:19, And seeing a fig tree by the wayside, he went to it and found nothing on it but only leaves. And he said to it, “May no fruit ever come from you again!” And the fig tree withered at once.

Galatians 3:28-29, There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.

Romans 10:12, For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him.

Romans 9:6-8, But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.

Romans 2:28-29, For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. 29 But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.

Acts 13:46, And Paul and Barnabas spoke out boldly, saying, “It was necessary that the word of God be spoken first to you. Since you thrust it aside and judge yourselves unworthy of eternal life, behold, we are turning to the Gentiles.

No second chance!

Jeremiah 8:20, “The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved.”

Matthew 25:32, Before him will be gathered all the nations, and he will separate people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats.

Matthew 13:39, and the enemy who sowed them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the reapers are angels.

Revelation 14:14-16, Then I looked, and behold, a white cloud, and seated on the cloud one like a son of man, with a golden crown on his head, and a sharp sickle in his hand. 15 And another angel came out of the temple, calling with a loud voice to him who sat on the cloud, “Put in your sickle, and reap, for the hour to reap has come, for the harvest of the earth is fully ripe.” 16 So he who sat on the cloud swung his sickle across the earth, and the earth was reaped.

Revelation 22:11-12, Let the evildoer still do evil, and the filthy still be filthy, and the righteous still do right, and the holy still be holy.” 12 “Behold, I am coming soon, bringing my recompense with me, to repay each one for what he has done.

Not a scret event!

Revelation 1:7, Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, even those who pierced him, and all tribes of the earth will wail on account of him. Even so. Amen.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.

Mark 13:26, And then they will see the Son of Man coming in clouds with great power and glory.

Jesus coming as a thief in the night is in reference to the unexpected time of Jesus' coming, not the manner of his coming.

Matthew 24:27, For as the lightning comes from the east and shines as far as the west, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:42-44, Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.

1 Thessalonians 5:1-5, Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers, you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. 4 But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness.

God's people live through the coming tribulation!

Revelation 15:8, and the sanctuary was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from his power, and no one could enter the sanctuary until the seven plagues of the seven angels were finished.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-3, Now concerning the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and our being gathered together to him, we ask you, brothers, 2 not to be quickly shaken in mind or alarmed, either by a spirit or a spoken word, or a letter seeming to be from us, to the effect that the day of the Lord has come. 3 Let no one deceive you in any way. For that day will not come, unless the rebellion comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction,

2 Thessalonians 2:8, And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming.

The Tribulation period:

Matthew 13:30, Let both grow together until the harvest, and at harvest time I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to be burned, but gather the wheat into my barn.’”

No one is taken out of this world before the tribulation.

Revelation 3:10, Because you have kept my word about patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial that is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell on the earth.

John 17:6, 15, “I have manifested your name to the people whom you gave me out of the world. Yours they were, and you gave them to me, and they have kept your word. . . 15 I do not ask that you take them out of the world, but that you keep them from the evil one.

* Don't miss the significance of the term "kept the word" in both these texts. Both of these statements are talking about the same group of people (the faithful ones). From Revelation 3:10, it is evident that no extra coming of Christ is indicated.

Isn't Jesus coming secretly?

When the Bible speaks of those being left, it does not say they will be left alive on earth. The extended passage in Luke 17:26-37 describes the event in detail. In Noah's day there were two classes, “one taken (saved), one left (destroyed by the flood) (Luke 17:27). In Lot's day there were two classes, (one taken out of the city and saved, one left in the city and consumed by the fire). It will be similar when Jesus comes (Luke 17:30-37). One class will be taken to heaven with Jesus and the other class will be destroyed. In Luke 17:37, the question is raised, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.” Revelation 19:11-18 clarifies the point that the wicked are destroyed when Jesus comes (see also, 2 Thess. 1:7-9; 2:8).

Luke 17:26-35, Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. 27 They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all. 28 Likewise, just as it was in the days of Lot—they were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building, 29 but on the day when Lot went out from Sodom, fire and sulfur rained from heaven and destroyed them all— 30 so will it be on the day when the Son of Man is revealed. 31 On that day, let the one who is on the housetop, with his goods in the house, not come down to take them away, and likewise let the one who is in the field not turn back. 32 Remember Lot’s wife. 33 Whoever seeks to preserve his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life will keep it. 34 I tell you, in that night there will be two in one bed. One will be taken and the other left. 35 There will be two women grinding together. One will be taken and the other left.”

Luke 17:37, And they said to him, “Where, Lord?” He said to them, “Where the corpse is, there the vultures will gather.”

Revelation 19:11-18, Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. 12 His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. 13 He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. 14 And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. 15 From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. 16 On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 17 Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, 18 to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.”

2 Thessalonians 1:7-9, and to grant relief to you who are afflicted as well as to us, when the Lord Jesus is revealed from heaven with his mighty angels 8 in flaming fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus. 9 They will suffer the punishment of eternal destruction, away from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of his might,

2 Thessalonians 2:8, And then the lawless one will be revealed, whom the Lord Jesus will kill with the breath of his mouth and bring to nothing by the appearance of his coming .

End Time Views

The Antichrist
Revelation 13:1 (a beast coming up out of the sea)

There are many theories regarding the person of the Antichrist and each has its advocates who have Scripture to back up their views. The actual truth will probably not be clear until the events actually occur. Until then, believers are to remain watchful (Matthew 24:4-5), looking expectantly to Christ’s return.

Early Christian Interpreters

Early Christian writings identify the Antichrist as the one who will exalt himself as God. These writers noted that the tribe of Dan is not on the list of the 144,000 “sealed” Jews (see Rev. 7:4-8) and that Dan is the perpetrator in Jeremiah’s prophecy of “terror” (Jer. 8:15-16). They concluded, therefore, that the Antichrist would be a descendant of the tribe of Dan. This interpretation is not widely held today.

Postmillennialists and Amillennialists

Some believe that the Antichrist will not be a person but, rather, an evil system. Scripture speaks of “many antichrists” (1 Jn. 2:18), and anti-Christian forces have persecuted the church throughout history. Some believe that the prophecies regarding the Antichrist have already been fulfilled. Some think the Antichrist was Nero, who committed suicide and, then, was expected to come back to life and reclaim his throne. In this theory, the seven-headed beast symbolizes the Roman Empire because the city of Rome was built on seven hills (see Rev. 17:9). There are parallels between the beast and Roman emperors, who took on blasphemous names, such as “lord” or “god” (see Rev. 13:1).

Dispensationalists

Dispensationalists believe that the Antichrist will emerge as the leader of the restored Roman Empire. He will make commitments to Israel (Dan. 7:8; 7:21-27; 9:24-27; Rev. 17:9-14), then will be assassinated and restored to life. According to this view, the Antichrist will exalt himself in the rebuilt Temple at Jerusalem and begin to persecute the Jews. This will cause Israel to turn to the Messiah. The time of great tribulation will end with military forces converging on Israel to defeat the Antichrist.

Historic Premillenialists and Amillennialists

Historic premillenialists and some amillennialists believe that the Antichrist will be a powerful individual, but they do not believe that the Temple in Jerusalem will be restored.

The Rapture
Revelation 19:11-12

There is much discussion regarding the Rapture of the church (never specifically mentioned in Revelation) and the second coming of Christ. What is called the “rapture” is described in other places in Scripture.

Matthew 24:36-37, “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man.

Matthew 24:40-42, Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord..

At the rapture, Christ will bring his people to be with him. Some Christians think that the rapture will be a separate event from the Second Coming; others believe they are two names for the same event.

Pre-tribulationalists (dispensational premillennialists) think that the rapture and the Second Coming are two separate and distinct events. They believe that the church will be raptured before the Tribulation begins. Then, at the end of the Tribulation (seven years later), Christ will return, and this will be the Second Coming.

Mid-tribulationalists also believe that the rapture and the Second Coming are two separate and distinct events. They believe that the rapture of all believers will occur halfway through the Tribulation (after three and a half years) so that believers will not be a part of the bowl judgments. Believers will then return with Christ at his Second Coming, at the end of the Tribulation period.

Post-tribulationalists (historic premillennialists and amillennialists) think that the rapture and Second Coming are the same event. Believers will go through the Tribulation. At the end of that time, they will meet the Lord in the air, then they will immediately accompany Christ on his descent to earth as the rider on the white horse. The church accompanies Jesus in a royal, heavenly entourage as is fitting for the King, coming to take passion of His Kingdom.

Post-millennialists also view the rapture and the Second Coming as the same event; however, they place these events at the end of the millennium, the thousand-year reign of Christ. After Satan is released from the bottomless pit to deceive the nations and wage war on God’s people (Rev. 20:7-10), Christ will call his people to him; then Christ’s people will accompany him as he descends to earth, defeats his enemies, and establishes a new heaven and new earth.

Whenever the rapture of the church occurs, it is already certain that the rider on the white horse will come in victory and that believers will be with him in heaven. While the various views on these topics can be difficult to understand, it is far more important that every believer knows on which side of the battle he or she is on. Those who remain faithful to Christ, no matter what, will receive all that God has promised.

Why are the dead raised up in the air, only to return with Jesus to the earth?

1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 tells us, "For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words."

NOTE: "In 1 Thessalonians 4:17 Paul used the phrase, "to meet." The Greek term apantēsis is often used of an important dignitary’s reception by the inhabitants of a city, who come out to greet and welcome their honored guest with fanfare and celebration, then accompany him into the city (cf. Matt. 25:6; Acts 18:15; a related term hypantēsis is used in Matt. 25:1; John 12:13). It may indicate that the subsequent movement of the saints after meeting Christ “in the air” conforms to Christ’s direction, thus in a downward motion toward the earth. However, some interpreters caution that the vivid symbolism of apocalyptic language must be kept in mind to avoid over-interpretation of the apocalyptic details. in the air." [ESV Study Bible]

In Revelation 19:11-16, Jesus returns as King of Kings, leading the armies of heaven. He returns as triumphant Lord with all the host of Heaven, for all the world to see.

The Great Tribulation
Revelation 7:2-3

Most Christians acknowledge the reality of a time of tribulation, but there is considerable debate concerning when this time will occur and who will be affected by it.

Dispensational premillennialists believe that Jesus’ prophecy of a future Tribulation will affect Israel but not the church. Prior to the tribulation, the church will be raptured out of the world when Christ suddenly descends from the clouds. The prophecy in Daniel about the Antichrist only deals with God’s plans for Israel (Dan. 9:27; Matt. 24:15-22). The rise of the Antichrist begins a seven-year period of tribulation designed to bring Israel back to God. Many Jews recognize Christ as the Messiah. After these seven years of horror, Christ returns to defeat his enemies at Armageddon and begin his thousand-year reign of peace (Matt. 24:29-31).

Historic premillennialists view the tribulation as the final manifestation of evil at the end of history. The Antichrist will proclaim himself to be god and launch a worldwide campaign of persecution of Christians (Matt. 24:15-22; 2 Thess. 2:3-12). Thus, according to historic premillennialists, Christians will experience this Tribulation and suffer for the cause of Christ. But Christ will sustain his people and protect them from God’s dreadful judgments on the Antichrist and his followers. At the height of this period of persecution, Christ will return to defeat his enemies at Armageddon and establish his thousand-year reign.

Amillennialists believe that the battle between good and evil will climax in a period of intense persecution of Christians at the end of this age, just prior to Christ’s second coming. They believe that the Tribulation is not a specific time in the future but instead may refer to this present age as well. The Tribulation occurs anywhere the Good News is being opposed and Christians are being persecuted. Amillennialists point out that Scripture doesn’t state that the Tribulation is confined to Israel (Rev. 7:13-14). They believe that all of God’s people will be persecuted. When Christ returns, bringing judgment on evil, he will gather believers (Matt. 24:31).

Postmillennialists believe that the church itself will usher in the Millennium and that Christ will return after one thousand years of peace on earth. The Tribulation occurs anywhere the Good News is being opposed and Christians are being persecuted. They believe that Jesus’ prophecy of the abomination being placed in the temple has already been fulfilled in Titus’s destruction of Jerusalem and its Temple in A.D. 70 (Matt. 24:15-22). They don’t believe Jesus’ prophecy speaks of a future Antichrist.

The Millennium
Revelation 20:2-3

The 1,000 years are often referred to as the Millennium (Latin for 1,000). There are three major views about the millennium, commonly called premillennialism, amillennialism, and postmillennialism.

Premillennialism says that the 1,000 years is a literal time period. Christ’s second coming will begin the millennium before the final removal of Satan. (The pre-, mid-, and post- Tribulation views are all “premillennial” in that they all agree that Christ will return at some point around the Tribulation, but before this thousand-year reign.)

NOTE: The 1,000 years is never spoken of anywhere else is all of scripture. Revelation 20 is unique. Individual Bible passages must be interpreted in a way that harmonize with the whole of Scripture. Accordingly, complex passages of Scripture must be interpreted in light of the clear teachings of Scripture.

Under this view are two types of understandings:

(1) Dispensational premillennialists say that at the end of the tribulation will come the battle of Armageddon, the imprisonment of Satan, and Jesus’ reign over Israel (Rev. 19:19-20:6). During that thousand-year reign, the Old Testament promises for Israel will be fulfilled (such as Isa. 2:4; 9:6-7; 11:6-9; 35:5-6; 42:1). Dispensationalists believe the Millennium will end with Satan leading a brief rebellion against Christ and then being thrown into the lake of fire. Then God will recreate the heavens and earth.

(2) Historic premillennialists believe that Christ’s Second Coming will occur after the Tribulation to bring believers into his millennial kingdom. He will defeat the Antichrist’s forces at Armageddon and kill the Antichrist, ending a first stage in Christ’s defeat of evil. The believers will accompany Christ as he establishes his millennial kingdom on earth. Satan will be chained during that time. Premillennialists believe that the establishment of Christ’s millennial reign on earth will cause the nation of Israel to turn to Jesus, thus fulfilling many of the Old Testament prophecies for Israel.

Historic premillennialists contend that only believers will be raised from the dead to reign with Christ in the millennium. The remaining unbelieving dead will be raised to life when the millennium ends—they will be raised for judgment. At that point, God will bring into existence the new heaven and new earth.

Amillennialism understands the 1,000-year period to be symbolic of the time between Christ’s ascension and his Second Coming; thus, the Millennium is the reign of Christ in the hearts of believers and in his church and is another way of referring to the church age. This period will end with the second coming of Christ. Amillennialists do not believe in a literal period of Tribulation because they view the Tribulation as including various events during the history of the church. To them, the events of the millennium described in Revelation 20:1-6 are actually occurring now!

Amillennialists believe that as the last days approach, the forces of evil will climax with the Antichrist and the great tribulation he will bring (2 Thess. 2:1-3). They believe that the wicked will continue to gather strength, persecuting believers more and more. Only when Christ returns will wickedness be stopped once and for all. After judging both the living and dead, Christ will establish his everlasting reign of peace.

Postmillennialism looks for a period of peace on earth ushered in by the church. At the end of this time, Satan will be released, but Christ will return to defeat Satan and reign forever. Postmillennialists believe that Jesus will return to a world that has been “Christianized” by the work of the church. Thus, the millennium will be established by the church, and Christ will only return to the earth after the Millennium. They believe that the church is now gradually transforming society (Matt. 13:31-33). Postmillennialists believe that the tribulation symbolizes the constant conflict between good and evil which has existed throughout history.

Postmillennialists believe that the millennium will end when Satan is released from the bottomless pit. Then Christ will return to judge all people and establish a new heaven and new earth. Postmillennialists believe the church bears the responsibility for spreading the Good News to all the world.