Four primary views of the end times. Let’s call this Eschatology 101.
In this article, we’ll explore eschatology 101. Eschatology is the study of the last days as revealed in the Bible. In this post, I will summarize each eschatological view. And it is important to point out, that this is not a side issue. It is one of the most important topics of Bible study. The end-times was a topic of discussion within the Godhead before the foundations of the world were put in place. It’s not as if Satan came in and messed things up and then they had to implement a plan ‘B’ to solve the sin problem.
The Father and the Son knew how the world would end before anything began. It was all predetermined and planned in advance. Many of the details of that planning were placed into the inspired scriptures. From Genesis to Revelation, Bible prophecy prevails as a key topic of study.
So let’s get into the four primary positions of the last days.
Please note: I will present a broad summary of these views. We’ll find variations within each.
The first I’ll address is called Amillennialism.
# One
Eschatology 101: What is Amillennialism?
This is the belief that the thousand-year reign of Jesus is spiritual, rather than actual. Jesus reigns in the hearts of his followers now, and not on a future throne in Jerusalem. The ‘first resurrection’ which we find mentioned in Revelation 20:5 isn’t a physical rising from the dead, in which dead bodies come back to life. But instead, it’s a spiritual regeneration. Christ already triumphed over Satan through his death and resurrection. That work on the cross restrained the power of Satan on earth. The Apostle John wrote about this in Revelation 20:1-3.
The persecution of Christians is the tribulation. It started shortly after Jesus left and will continue until his return. The expansion of God’s kingdom is the millennium, not a literal thousand years. We are in it now. And it will continue until Jesus’ return. At the time of His return, Jesus will defeat the residual powers of evil and restore life to the dead, both the just and unjust. After that, each individual will face their eternal destinies. Most if not all of the references to Israel that we find in the Book of Revelation are symbolic. It doesn’t mean the Jewish People but refers to the elect of God or the Church.
Eschatology 101: Which passages support this view?
In the Bible, we often find the number 1,000 used figuratively. Good examples are Psalm 50:10; 90:4; 105:8; and 2 Peter 3:8. The first resurrection refers to the spiritual rebirth of those who trust in Christ. We see that in such passages as Revelation 20:4, Romans 11:13-15, and Ephesians 2:1-4.
The second coming of Christ and the resurrection of the just and unjust will happen at the same time. Passages that support this view are Daniel 12:2-3 and John 5:28-29. The Church, or the saints, are on the earth and experiencing the tribulation now and are described in Revelation 13:7.
Eschatology 101. Who teaches this view, and when did it start?
This view of the end times became popular during the fifth century. It has remained a popular view ever since. The highly respected theologian, Augustine, is thought by some to be responsible for this theory/view of the end times. Other great theologians have taken the same position, such as Martin Luther, John Calvin, E.Y. Mullins, Herschel Hobbs, and J. I. Packer.
Important consequences of this view that we should consider.
You should watch this video if you haven’t seen it.
It’s very well done and exposes some glaring spiritual problems that have resulted from errant views of Bible prophecy.
# Two
Eschatology 101: What is Post-millennialism?
Post-millennialism is the view that the return of Jesus will take place after the millennium. But in this view, the millennium represents a long period of time, not a thousand years. This borrows from the same understanding found in Amillennialism. During this indefinite period of time, the preaching of the gospel occurs. And most of the world will submit to the words of Jesus and become saved. Satan will lose his power over the earth and all evil regimes will collapse, as seen in this passage, Revelation 19:19-20:3.
Jesus will rule the earth through his Spirit and in the power of his Church. But his presence on the earth will be spiritual, not physical. The resurrection that we see mentioned in Revelation 20:4 is a regeneration of the people who trust in Jesus. The second coming, the culmination of the conflict between good and evil, the defeat of Satan, the physical resurrection of the dead, and their judgment all happen immediately following the millennium. They suggest Revelation 20:7-15 supports this view.
Eschatology 101. Which passages support this view?
Within this theory of the end times, it is taught that every ethnic group will receive the teaching of the Good News/the gospel. They use the well-known passages of Matthew 24:14 and Mark 13:10. Just as we find in Amillennialism, they also use Daniel 12:2-3 and John 5:28-29 to support their belief that Jesus will return after the non-literal thousand-year reign of Christ. It’s important to note that both views considered so far, believe the thousand years should not be interpreted literally. And the Jewish people lose their place as the chosen people of God.
Eschatology 101. Who teaches this view, and when did it start?
Joachim of Fiore, also known as Joachim of Flora (c. 1135 – March 30, 1202), was a Christian visionary and abbot whose teaching of a three-stage providential history kindled tremendous expectations for the reform of the Catholic Church and the coming of a new age of the Holy Spirit.
Fiore taught that instead of a cataclysmic end of the world in which the elect alone escapes destruction, he imagined the transformation of the entire world into a spiritual kingdom. In that regeneration, he envisioned an idealistic monastic life for the inhabitants of that brave new world. The mystical basis of Joachim’s teaching was his doctrine of the “Eternal Gospel,” which he based on his interpretation of Revelation 14:6.
Earlier scholars who had similar views were Eusebius, Athanasius, and Augustine. But as mentioned above, Augustine is credited with popularizing the Amillennial interpretation.
It was in the 1800s, during the missionary expansion, that this view came into much wider acceptance. But then a serious problem occurred in the next century. The two World Wars and the economic depression put a great strain on this interpretation. The world was not getting better from the influence of the gospel. It was getting worse, but not because of the Gospel. So the previously popular view of eschatology fell out of favor with many in the church.
Supporters of this view include some of the great scholars of the recent past, such as Jonathan Edwards, B.B. Warfield, Augustus H. Strong, Charles Hodge, R. Dabney, and R.C. Sproul.
Here’s another important video with equally excellent insight.
# Three
Eschatology 101: What is Historical Pre-millennialism?
This is the belief that the Church will be on the earth during the great tribulation. The tribulation is a time of intense persecution and will serve as a way to purify the church and root out false believers. The key element of this interpretation is that the return of Christ will come before the millennium. The thousand-year of Christ is interpreted as a literal and future event. God made a covenant with Father Abraham. In that covenant, he gave promises of land and blessings. Those were conditional based on the obedience of Abraham’s offspring.
But now, the Church has replaced the nation of Israel as God’s covenant people. God established a covenant of grace in the Old Testament. His promises are based on God’s mercy and grace given to those who faithfully obey. The believers, as embodied in the church, are the true Israel, not the Jews who crucified Christ. Adherents to this view see passages like Romans 9:6 and Galatians 6:16 as teaching these principles.
Eschatology 101. Which passages support this view?
A pivotal passage supporting this view is found in 2 Thessalonians 2:3-4. This passage, adherents believe, teaches that the Antichrist will precede the return of Christ. The tribulation will reveal fake and phony believers for who they really are, as seen in Revelation 2:22-23. The Christians will endure/suffer through the tribulation as Revelation 13:7 suggests. Those famous promises to Abraham were conditional. See the following passages, Genesis 22:18, 2 Chronicles 33:8, Isaiah 1:19-20, and Jeremiah 7:6-7.
In the New Testament, we often see the terms Israel or the twelve tribes. These all refer to the Church or true believers. See passages such as Matthew 19:28-29 and Romans 9:6-8.
Eschatology 101. Who teaches this view, and when did it start?
This view of the end times has its roots in the early Christian Church. That fact alone adds weight to the interpretive view. The early apostles and their subsequent disciples seemed to hold to this teaching. But as the Church grew in influence, this end-times interpretation began to fade in popularity. That, in my opinion, is another point that lends great credibility to this view.
Some of the early Church Fathers who taught this included Lactantius, Irenaeus, Justin Martyr, and Papias. Some modern teachers include David Dockery, John Warwick Montgomery, Robert Gundry, and George E. Ladd.
What did the early Church Fathers find in the scriptures?
Explore important answers here.
# Four
Eschatology 101: What is Dispensational Pre-millennialism?
In this interpretation of the end times, it is taught that Jesus will return to earth after a seven-year tribulation. And then He will set up His kingdom on earth and rule for an actual thousand years. But, in stark contrast to the three preceding views, God will give to the Nation of Israel the land he promised in Genesis 15:18.
The teachers of this point of view believe that all references to Israel in the Book of Revelation refer to the nation of Jews, not the Church. Most adherents to this view believe a ‘rapture event’ will occur before the seven-year tribulation begins. Common teaching to support this uses the passage found in Revelation 4:1-2. In that passage, the Apostle John is called up to heaven. This is a clinching argument for many who teach this. It is also argued that there is no mention of the Church on the earth after this.
The rapture is the event in which Jesus calls his bride, the Church, into heaven before the tribulation begins. The rapture and the second coming are two separate and distinct events of the end times. Another important view to consider goes by two names. Many scholars lean toward the theory of a so-called mid-tribulation rapture. Other teachers believe the Bible clearly reveals a Pre-wrath rapture that will happen at some time after the revealing of the Antichrist.
These last two middle-of-the-tribulation views are adamantly opposed by most teachers in the classic pre-tribulation interpretation camp.
Eschatology 101. Which passages support this view?
The teachers of this point-of-view turn to verses such as 1 Thessalonians 5:9 or Revelation 3:10 for guidance. They also teach that the promises to Abraham were not conditional. God was determined to keep his promises for the sake of his Word and honor, not the behavior of fallen Jews. It also would serve as a resounding example of his grace and faithfulness to sinful mankind and Jews. See Genesis 15:7-21. As mentioned earlier, the church isn’t mentioned in Revelation chapters four through nineteen. So that omission, so it’s taught, gives proof to the fact the church is in heaven.
Eschatology 101. Who teaches this view, and when did it start?
Of the four interpretations we are considering, this last one has had the most recent emergence. In the 1800s, possibly among the Plymouth Brethren, this end-times view began to spring up. As scholarship considered it and compared it with the scriptures it grew rapidly in popularity. Many well-known teachers and scholars have adopted and taught this interpretive view. Here is a short list but it could easily stretch into the hundreds. Adherents include the following, J. Nelson Darby, C.I. Scofield, Harry A. Ironside, Gleason Archer, Donald G. Barnhouse, Hal Lindsey, Chuck Smith, John MacArthur, Charles Ryrie, Charles Stanley, Norman L. Geisler, and Tim LaHaye.
This is the view that has dominated the book publishing industry, popular radio programs, movies, and church sermons for the last fifty to sixty years.
But which view is correct?
Well, of course, that depends on who you ask. But there is another view that must be considered. That is the view that none of the four are entirely correct. I believe each position has strong and weak points in its arguments. But it’s easy for an unbiased observer to see that those who hold strongly to one view will never stray from the confines of their doctrinal statements.
This creates a closed-minded attitude that prevents the student from seeing things from a purely biblical perspective.
When Jesus came to earth nearly two thousand years ago, he threw established doctrine on its head. The scholars of his day had strayed way off course from the true meaning of the scriptures. Tradition held sway over the word of God. That should never be true for honest students and scholars. God’s Word is the start and end-point of our study. The scholars and their interpretations fit somewhere in the middle. But sadly, once teachers and their positions become popular their beliefs become set in stone. We often choose interpretive models over an honest study of the Bible.
The first two views we’ve looked at, amillennialism and postmillennialism, have troubling aspects to them that are hard to square with the scriptures. The primary problem is their exclusion of Israel from the promises. Those were promises made by God who keeps his word even when men don’t. Another key point in the development of those theories is the historical context of their development.
During the dawn of the Dark Ages, when knowledge of the Bible was becoming limited and a few elites determined its meaning for the masses — it was then that these interpretations developed. Under the guidance of the Roman Catholic Church, accepted scholars developed these positions. Not only do I disagree with how they interpret the scriptures, but I suspect Satan’s dark intent in making Israel into the bad guy that God never intended.
And now Israel
And now, much to the dismay and shock of those who hold to non-millennial views, the Nation of Israel has risen from the dead. It’s almost as if God predicted it in his Word. Well actually, he did.
The thousand-year reign of Christ is literal. The Jewish people will be restored to their land. God will pull them out of the Gentile nations at the end of days. The current state of Israel is not the final phase of that restoration. Terrifying destruction and death, centered in Israel, but expanding across the globe will happen in the future.
After the smoke clears the Nation of Israel will serve as the keepers of a rebuilt temple where the risen Lord resides on his throne in Jerusalem.
And here’s another great video from “The Bible Project.”
Like in the dark ages, the world has grown dark and in need of another seer.
Let me know what you think.