Four
Views of the End Times
About This Study
“Tell us,” the disciples asked Jesus
after their master had predicted a future calamity in Jerusalem, “when will
these things happen? What will be the sign of your coming and of the end of the
age?” (Matthew 24:3). The dodgy dozen weren’t the first or the last folk to ask
such questions. In every generation since sin entered into the world, God’s
people seem to have wondered, “When and
how will God make things right in the
world?”
Sometimes these discussions degenerate
into fruitless debates about specific details—but that’s not where Dr. Timothy
Paul Jones will take you in this particular study. Although you will gain much
knowledge about the end times, the primary purpose of this study is not to
raise your eschatological I.Q.
This study focuses first and foremost
on Jesus the Messiah, the One through whom God the Father will make all things
new. Woven through this study of Jesus in Revelation, you will find straightforward, Scripture-centered
examinations of four viewpoints that Christians throughout history have
embraced as they looked toward the end of time.
Quick Summary of the Four Views
I.
Amillennialism
There will be no (a-) physical millennium. The millennium is the
present, spiritual reign of Jesus with his people. Jesus may return to earth at
anytime. The tribulation occurs whenever Christians are persecuted or wars and
disasters happen.
II.
Postmillennialism
Jesus will return to earth after (post-) a millennium when the
overwhelming majority of people throughout the world embrace the gospel. The
great tribulation occurred either in the first-century AD, or will be a brief
time of persecution immediately preceding the millennium.
III.
Dispensational Premillennialism
God will rapture Christians from the world before (or midway into)
the seven-year great tribulation. Jesus will return to earth after the great
tribulation, but before (pre-) the thousand-year millennium described in
Revelation 20.
IV.
Historical Premillennialism
Jesus will return to earth after a time of tribulation, but before
(pre-) the millennium described in Revelation 20. Christians will remain on
earth through the tribulation. This tribulation may be a short, intense time of
persecution that will occur near the end of time, or a long time-period which
has occurred throughout church history.
The End-Times Intrigue
For 2,000 years people have wondered about
the events of the end times and when Jesus will return. End-times ideas have filled books, movies,
and even supermarket tabloids.
Terms such as millennium, tribulation, rapture, and antichrist, may be
common
end-times words, but what do they mean?
•
Will Jesus return physically and reign on
earth for a thousand-year period called the millennium?
•
Will Christians go through a seven-year
tribulation?
•
When will the antichrist appear—or has that
prophecy already been fulfilled?
There are four views of end-times events:
•
Dispensational Premillennialism: Christ’s
return and rapture are separate events.
•
Historical Premillennialism: Christians
endure the tribulation.
•
Amillennialism: No literal thousand-year
rule.
•
Postmillennialism: Christ returns after the
millennium.
All share some key points:
•
Jesus will come again for those who love him.
•
Jesus calls his followers to be ready all the
time.
•
No one knows the day or the hour.
Key Bible Passages
What Jesus Taught about the End
•
Matthew 24–25; Mark 13; Luke 21
•
Jesus promised his disciples that he would
come again.
•
Before his return there would be “birth
pains”—events before “the signs” of the end.
Birth pains:
- There will be wars, famine, earthquakes,
and pestilence.
- Wickedness will increase.
- There will be fearful events and signs from
heaven.
- People will be deceived by many false
messiahs.
The
signs of the end:
- Jerusalem will be surrounded by armies.
- The “abomination that causes desolation”
will stand in the holy place.
- Jerusalem will be trampled on by Gentiles.
- The
sun will darken, the moon will not shine, and the stars will fall.
- False
prophets will perform signs, and miracles.
- Severe
ocean activity will disturb the nations.
- People
will faint with terror.
- Jesus will appear in the sky.
- The trumpet will sound.
- Angels will gather God’s elect.
•
Jesus said, “No one knows about that day or
hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.”—Matthew
24:36
•
“Because of the increase of wickedness, the
love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be
saved.”—Matthew 24:12–13
What Paul Taught about the End
•
1 Thessalonians 4:16–17
•
The Lord will descend.
•
The dead in Christ will rise first.
•
The living will be caught up with them in the
clouds to meet the Lord and be with him forever.
•
2 Thessalonians 2:3–4
•
Don’t believe those who say the Day of the
Lord has already come.
•
The Day of the Lord will be preceded by:
•
Rebellion
•
The revelation of the man of lawlessness
The man
of lawlessness will:
-
Oppose and exalt himself over God.
-
Set himself up in God’s temple.
-
Proclaim to be God.
-
Be revealed when the one holding him back is
taken out of the way.
The man of lawlessness will:
-
Be accompanied by satanic, counterfeit
miracles.
-
Deceive those who do not love the truth.
- Be overthrown and destroyed when Jesus comes.
