End Times Debate, Teachings, and Charts!

October 27, 2012

I recently came across a great end times debate moderated by John Piper with some of the best scholars of our time. I loved it so much I made this complete end times blog to, (a) help get the different end time views out, (b) further the debate and discussion about the end times, and (c) encourage everyone to prepare for Jesus’ second coming! I hope you enjoy all the resources! “You’d better get right, before you get left!”

Basic Definitions

(Click on the names for wiki articles with for more depth.)

Eschatology: Biblical theology pertaining to the last things, Greek “eschatos.”
Millennialism: A thousand year time period found in Revelation 20, either symbolic or literal.
Tribulation: A time period mentioned in the Bible of great suffering. Pre-tribulation, a time of tribulation after the rapture. Mid-tribulation, a time during the tribulation in which the rapture happens. Post-tribulation, a time period of suffering before the rapture.
Rapture: A catching away of the saints of God and given a new resurrected body.
Preterism: The belief that the prophecies found in Daniel and Revelation had all taken place before 70 AD at the destruction of the Jewish Temple, examples; “the anti-christ, bowls of wrath, etc.” Also, all the promises in the Old Testament made to Israel now only pertain to the Church in New Testament.
Futurism: The major prophecies of Daniel, Revelation, and Jesus in Matthew 28 pertain to both the Church and Israel in the future.

Three Main Positions

1-Pre-Millennialism

Jesus will come first, then reign a literal 1,000 years with resurrected believers over normal people left over after the Battle of Armageddon. Pre-millennialists can differ on pre/mid/post tribulation, whereas, both post and a-millennialism are all post-tribulationist. Also, all pre-millennialist are “futurist,” whereas, both post and a-millennialist are preterists. This is my personal belief, along with the Assemblies of God, Southern Baptist, Left Behind Series, etc.

2-Post-Millennialism

The 1,000 year reign of Christ in Revelation 20 is symbolic time period for a literal earthly time of either (a) the current Christian age or (b) a climax in the Christian age which brings a “golden age” or state of bliss before Jesus comes back. Many of the reformed preachers of past and present believe this.

3-A-Millennialism

The 1,000 year reign of Christ is not a literal earthly reign but simply a symbol of Jesus reigning in heaven with the believers until His second coming. Roman Catholic and some reformed believers hold to this view.