A Primer On End-times Teaching In The Bible

On Sunday I began a sermon series on Matthew 24-25 titled “This Age And The Second Coming Of Christ”. Since I have introduced this topic of what the Bible teaches about the end-times, I decided it would be helpful to explain some of the different questions that arise whenever anyone looks at this subject in the Bible and also the various approaches that Christians have taken throughout history on these issues.

The Millennium

The first and most overarching issue that emerges is that of the millennium. The word millennium means “one thousand years” (from the Latin for 1,000 years) and arises out of Revelation 20:4 where we read:  “Also I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of God, and those who had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ for a thousand years.”

The first position we will discuss related to these 1,000 years is that Jesus Christ will engage in a literal 1,000 reign on earth after his Second Coming during which time these saints will reign with him. This reign will come prior to entering into eternity future that includes the new heaven and new earth. Because this view sees Jesus’ Second Coming to be prior to this millennium, it is known as Premillennialism. This view was present in the early church, fell out of vogue by the 4^th century and did not arise again in any widespread manner until the 19^th century. It has been particularly popular in the 20^th-21^st centuries in England and the United States.

The second position we will discuss is that this millennial reign of Jesus Christ on earth will eventually be gradually ushered in through the spread of the gospel and the growth of the Church. Jesus Christ will return after this time, so this view is known as Postmillennialism. Postmillennialism was popular among some British and American Puritans, as well as more Liberal-minded mainline churches of the first part of the 20^th century. Though it has some proponents currently even among evangelicals, it has been hard up to find supporters since after the second World War.

The third position is known as Amillennialism. This approach believes that there will not be a literal reign of Jesus Christ on the earth prior to the new heaven and new earth. Instead, the reference in Revelation 20 speaks figuratively of the reign of Christ and/or saints with him during the Church Age. Those who hold to this position believe the number 1,000 is to be taken symbolically for a long period of time. This was the prominent position from the 4^th century on through the 18^th century. Though Premillennialism has been very popular among British and American evangelicals the past two centuries, Amillennialism continues to have strong support.

The official position of the Evangelical Free Church Of America in their doctrinal statement is Premillennialism. A person does not have to hold to Premillennialism to attend a Free Church, nor even to be a member of one. Technically, a pastor does not necessarily have to be Premillennial to be a pastor in a Free Church, though he must hold this position to be credentialed in the EFCA (credentialing is recommended, but not required) and many congregations will not call a pastor who has a different position.

The Tribulation

The major issue that surfaces is how a person views the period known as the “tribulation”. This is a time of suffering and persecution faced by believers of God (Matthew 24:9, 21; Rev. 7:14).

The first question that arises about the Tribulation is whether or not it is a literal seven year period, that is, a literal period of two 3.5 year periods put back to back (see Dan. 7:25; 12:7; Rev. 12:6, 14). There are those who claim that it is to be taken literally. Most who take it literally argue that it will come at the end of the Church age or just after the Church age, that is, just before or just after the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Those who say it comes after the Second Coming usually believe it is a time of tribulation primarily for Israel—during which time many in Israel will come to faith. Those who say it comes just prior to the Second Coming believe it is a time of heightened persecution and suffering for the Church (Jew and Gentile) that comes on the tail-end of a Church age that includes persecution and suffering.

The Evangelical Free Church Of America does not require one or the other view on the nature of the Tribulation, although the vast majority in the EFCA hold to a literal seven year period.

The second question that arises has to do with the relationship of the Tribulation to the millennium and the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

Those who are Postmillennial tend to see the Tribulation as figurative and depicting the time of persecution throughout the Church age and even as the gospel spreads and the Church grows. For Postmillennialists Christ is returning after the Tribulation.

Those who are Ammillennial also tend to see the Tribulation as figurative and depicting the time of persecution throughout the Church age. In their mind the Tribulation and the Millennium run concurrently. For Amillennialists Christ is returning after the Tribulation.

Most who are Premillennial see the Tribulation as a literal seven years of suffereing, persecution (and in some cases judgment), though a growing minority of Premillennialists see it is figurative and spanning the Church age.

Within Premillennialism there are three approaches to the timing of the Second Coming in relation to the Tribulation. Pretribulational Premillennialists believe Jesus Christ will return, take the New Testament Church in a secret rapture before the Tribulation, and then a literal seven year period of persecution and judgment will take place upon the earth—during which time many Jews will come to realize Jesus is the Messiah.  Midtribulational Premillennialists believe similarly that the Tribulation is literal. They believe the Church will not be raptured away until the first half of the Tribulation is over and before judgment begins to be reigned down on the earth. Finally, Posttribulational Premillennialism believes Christ will return after the Tribulation to rapture the Church. Those who believe the Tribulation is figurative and spans the age of the Church belong to this camp, though some Posttribulational proponents hold to a literal seven year Tribulation.

The EFCA does not take an official position on the timing of the Rapture to the Second Coming of Christ, though in their early history they were decidedly Pretribulational.

Some of you may want to know where I stand. Years ago I was Amillennial before switching to Posttribulational Premillennialism. I still have many similarities with Amillennialism. These two positions (Posttribulational Premillennialism and Amillennialism) have a great deal of similarity in their approach. Both tend to see the Tribulation as figurative and running concurrently to the entire Church age.