Eschatology (The doctrine of end times)

Based on the Evangelical Alliance statement of faith the following is an appropriate answer to the following question.

What is our future expectation?

We expect the personal, visible return of the Lord Jesus Christ to fulfil the purposes of God, who will raise all people to judgement, bringing eternal life to the redeemed and eternal condemnation to the lost and establish a new heavens and a new earth.

This represents the almost universally held view of the church throughout the ages and still remains the view of the evangelical church today. However throughout the ages and within the evangelical church today there exists a number of issues with regard to the end times that remain open to debate. Three of the most common as follows:

1. How should we interpret the book of Revelation?
2. Is there a rapture of the saints - if so when?
3. Is there a literal millennium - if so when?

How should we interpret the book of Revelation?

With regard to the book of Revelation there are 4 positions

1. Preterist - this argues the book is primarily referring to events in the first couple of centuries of church history.
2. Idealist/Devotional - this argues the book is not referring to specific events but is referring to general principles that work throughout all of history.
3. Historicist - this argues that the book of Revelation is a symbolic representation of church history with the main pivot point being the Reformation.
4. Futurist - this argues that the events referred to in the book of Revelation belong to the last 7 years of human history - usually this is associated with a one world government and a global persecution of the Christians - which is often referred to as a time of tribulation.

Outside academic circles the Preterist view is not well known. The idealist/devotional view tends to be the approach most often used in preaching, assuming the book of revelation is referred to at all. As for the historicist position whilst this was the preferred position of the Protestant church from 1550 to 1850 it is not that common now. However the futurist position, which did not exist before 1850 has achieved significant popularity over the last 100 years (This popularity has increased with books like Hal Lindsey’s Late Great Planet Earth and the Left Behind series).

Is there a rapture of the saints - if so when?

There is clear scriptural evidence for some kind of rapture that involves the saints, both living and deceased being caught up in the air to meet Jesus when He returns (1 Thessalonians 4:13-18, 1 Corinthians 15:50-57, Luke 17:24-36, Matthew 24:36-41) - the question is when. There are four possible scenarios:

1. At the beginning of the seven years of tribulation.
2. During the middle of the seven years of tribulation.
3. Just before Jesus arrives - up to 14 days (on the first day of the seventh month at the feast of Trumpets and Christ returns to earth of the 14th day of the seventh month at the feast of Tabernacles)
4. The rapture and the physical return of the Lord to earth are at the same time.

(It is worth noting that both (1) & (2) refer to a seven year tribulation that forms part of a futurist interpretation of the book of Revelation)

Millennium

This doctrine primarily comes from Revelation 20:1-10. There are three interpretations. (Amongst evangelicals (1) is the most common.)

1. Premillennialism - Christ returns to reign on earth for a thousand years and then after a battle with Satan there is a new heaven & earth - this was the teaching of the early church.
2. Amillennialism - The Church age is the millennium.
3. Postmillennialism - Christ will return to a world that has been evangelised and is being blessed by the church.