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.
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 through 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 a
lost 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!
Kingdom Taken
From The Jews And Given To The Church!
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 Secret
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: Is In Reference To The
Unexpected Time Of Jesus' Coming, Not
The Manner Of It.
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 Thessalonians 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
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 Revelation 7:4-8) and that Dan
is the perpetrator in Jeremiah’s
prophecy of “terror” (Jeremiah 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 John 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 Revelation 17:9). There are
parallels between the beast and Roman
emperors, who took on blasphemous names,
such as “lord” or “god” (see Revelation 13:1).
Dispensationalists
Dispensationalists believe that the
Antichrist will emerge as the leader of
the restored Roman Empire. He will make
commitments to Israel (Daniel 7:8; 7:21-27; 9:24-27; Revelation 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
(Revelation 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."
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. Matthew 25:6; Acts 18:15; a
related term hypantēsis is used in Matthew 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. The sky. [ESV Study
Bible]
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. Revelation 19:11-16 .
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 (see also the chart entitled
“Theories Regarding the Tribulation”).
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 (Daniel 9:27; Matthew 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 (Matthew 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 (Matthew 24:15-22; 2 Thessalonians 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
(Revelation 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
(Matthew 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 (Matthew 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 (Revelation 19:19-20:6). During
that thousand-year reign, the Old
Testament promises for Israel will be
fulfilled (such as Isaiah 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 Thessalonians 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
(Matthew 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.
“Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture
quotations are from the ESV® Bible"
"Used by
permission. All rights reserved.”
ESV
Text Edition: 2016
We
also hold to:
New Covenant Theology
(an overview)
See Also;
Arminian Theology |
Free
Will |
Corporate Election |
Unlimited Atonement
Would like to know more about the Christian
faith?
Click Here!
Local
Ministries Available
Serving Denver, Colorado and the Front Range.
|