1. Definitions, Terms, and References
2. Revelation
3. Chiliasm vs Antichiliasm (and differing views of millennium)
4. Dispensationalism
5. Rapture
| term | Greek | meaning | example |
|---|---|---|---|
| apocalypse | revelation | typically denotes a completion of God's purposes | |
| epiphany | manifestation | denotes a decisive divine appearance for the benefit of God's people | |
| parousia | coming or presence | typically used to denote special visits of kings |
| Spiritual | Preterist | Historicist | Futurist | Progressive Parallel | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEANING | purpose is to instruct the Church regarding the future - not to predict specific events, but to teach fundamental spiritual truths. | describes only events taking place on earth during the Roman Empire. | sets forth particular events in the history of the world that relate to the welfare of the church from the first century to the end of time. | book of predictive prophecy -- for the most part visions will be fulfilled toward the end of the age and not throughout history. | book consists of seven sections which run roughly parallel - each of which depicts the church and the world from the first coming to the second coming. |
| PROBLEMS | Book claims to be prophecy and certain parts clearly refer to specific events | too small a scope | impossible to determine exactly what events although striking parallels can be drawn. | parts clearly refer to non-end time events (i.e., the letters to the seven churches) | eliminates the millennium; gets rid of prophetic implications |
There is some truth in each of these systems of interpretation. Just as the first three chapters "must" be interpreted historically, other parts of the book takes place immediately before the second coming (at the end of the age). There are great spiritual principles set forth in the judgements, promises, and Messianic victories. The tribulations the Church has endured began in the Roman empire and are still continuing leading to the drawing of many interesting historical parallels.
Remember, most of all, that had God not intended that we should use this book and gain benefit from it, He wouldn't have given it to be written. "The book is designed to teach us the spiritual history of the Church of Christ, to warn us of those spiritual trials to which we are liable, to describe the great contest with evil, and to comfort us with the assurance of the final victory of Christ over the powers of darkness." (Wycliffe, p. 1053) NOTE: the seven sections of "Progressive Parallelism" are: 1) the churches -- chpaters 1-3
| ----- chiliast ----- | ----------- anti-chiliast ----------- | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Premillennial | Amillennial | Postmillennial | |
| WHAT | millennium before second coming |
no earthly millennium | millennium after second coming |
| HOW | church age, tribulation/rapture, millennium, resurrection/judgement*, eternity |
church age, second coming, general judgement, eternity |
church age, millennium, second coming, general judgement, eternity |
| INTERPRETATION | literal interpretation of prophecy |
promises made to Israel fulfilled in the church | largely spiritualized |
| NATURE OF THE KINGDOM | personal, visible, reign of Christ as King in Jerusalem |
spiritual | golden age of prosperity and righteousness |
For the Millennium, there is a direct scriptural reference to the thousand year reign of Christ: Revelation 20:1-6. The differences come in how these verses are to be interpreted. The use of prefixes is, to some extent, unfortunate and misleading because the distinction involves a great deal more than "before" or "after". The millennium anticipated by the premillennialist is quite different from that expected by the postmillennialist or that being realized by the amillennialist. It is different not only in how and when it will be set up, but also in the nature of the kingdom and how Christ will exercise his control. While pre-, a-. and postmillennialists differ in their beliefs about how (especially concerning events that are to surround his return) and when the return of Christ will be, they all agree that he will return personally, visibly, and in great glory. They all look for "that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ" (Tit 2:13). Each acknowledges Paul's statement that "the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and with the trump of God" (1 Thes 4:16). They also agree that at his coming he will raise the dead, execute judgement and (eventually) begin eternity. You will thus notice that the matters on which they agree are more important than the matters on which they disagree. NOTE: Premillennialists tend to see many resurrections and many judgements
| Dispensationalists | Non-dispensationalists |
|---|---|
| believe that the promises that God made to Israel in the Old Testament will still be fulfilled in the National Israel | believe that Israel abrogated her right to the promises by disobedience -- promises will be fulfilled in Spiritual Israel (i.e., the Church) |
Many dispensationalists believe that:
- there is a separate (different) way for Jews to be saved especially during the millennium
- the "Kingdom of God" has nothing to do with eternity
- the Church was an afterthought because the Jews rejected the Messiah
- the temple will be rebuilt and the Levitical system re-instituted
"Dispensationalism forms its eschatology by a literal interpretation of the Old Testament and then fit the New Testament into it. A nondispensational eschatology forms its theology from the explicit teaching of the New Testament" (Ladd p.26).
| pre-trib rapture | mid-trib rapture | post-trib rapture | partial rapture | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEANING | rapture before tribulation | rapture after 3 1/2 years of tribulation | rapture after tribulation | only worthy saints are raptured. |
| SUPPORTING ARGUMENT | - keep saints out of trouble Rev 3:10 - trib is outpouring of wrath and church is exempt - "After this" (Rev 4:1) speaks of rapture |
- last trumpet of 1 Cor 15:52 is 7th trumpet of Revelation & therefore mid-trib - Great Trib is last 1/2 of Daniels 70th week and Church only preserved from that Rev 11:2, 12:6 - Resurrection of two witnesses pictures rapture. |
- rapture and second coming described by same greek words - preservation from tribulation not exemption (i.e., Israel and the plagues in Egypt) - Saints seen on earth during tribulation Matt 24:22 - To suffer persecution for God is seen as the ultimate blessing. |
- verses like Heb 9:28 which require preparedness. |
"The time of the Rapture is neither the most important nor the most unimportant point of Christian theology. ... When one considers the whole spectrum of Christian theology, eschatology is only a small part of it. Moreover, the Rapture question constitutes only a small segment of eschatology" (Feinberg p.47).
The timing of the Rapture, or if one even exists is not the most important point in Christian theology -- it is not even the most important point in Christian eschatology. But then neither is it the most unimportant point for it is a great source of discussion and controversy. Let us remember that it is only a small part of eschatology; and eschatology is only a small part of the whole of theology.