by Alan Langstaff

Back fifty years ago, there were many preachers who spoke about the Return of Christ. The Second Coming, as it is called. Books were written, including the best-seller by Hal Lindsay, “The Late Great Planet Earth.” Time passed, and less and less were the messages about the End Times.

But then in recent times, radio and TV preachers have begun again to preach about the soon-coming of Jesus. Preachers like Chuck Swindol, David Jeremiah, and Greg Laurie, etc.

I must confess that I have been a preacher for almost 70 years, and in most of that time, I did not study the details of Christ’s return. I did not study the book of Revelation or preach much on it. I simply held to the view that Christ was coming again and that was all. 

I have to confess that in recent times, that has changed, and I am more interested in the return of Christ than ever I was. Perhaps it is because I am getting older, or perhaps it is because we are getting closer to that all-important event – Christ’s return. 

For whatever reason, I have taken more interest in studying Eschatology. I have come to the conclusion that Christ will return soon (Remember, no one knows exactly when.) However, I do not believe it will happen in my waning days, but it will happen I believe in the next 40 years or so. You can know the “times” but not the exact date.

When you study the End Times, you soon discover there are many different interpretations regarding the teaching of Scripture, particularly the teaching of Jesus as well as Paul, etc, and also the book of Revelation.

You soon find out there are many different views. Take, for example, questions relating to the Millennium, a thousand-year period. Here are some of those views.

A friend of mine has written a study book on the book of Revelation. He starts off the chapter on the Millennium by writing:

“Undoubtedly, the 20th chapter of Revelation is the most debated chapter in the entire book. The reason is that it deals with a thousand year reign of Jesus Christ, called the Millennium, a Latin term meaning “one thousand.” There are basically four positions that can be held concerning the Millennium.

  1. Premillennial position …Jesus returns and establishes a thousand year reign on earth.
  2. Amillennial position …a thousand year reign is symbolic for this current age.
  3. Postmillennial position …Christians help to establish a thousand year reign of Jesus Christ prior to Jesus’ return.
  4. Panmillennialism … everything pans out in the end.

It may come as a surprise to you that the premillennial position has not been the most accepted position in church history. In fact, the Council of Ephesus in 431 condemned this view as false.

During the time of the Holy Roman Empire, the amillennial viewpoint dominated. Augustine, Calvin and Luther were all amillennial. The reason why this view was accepted was because Rome reigned during more than thousand years, and it seemed to match the reign of Christ.

The postmillennial view was held by many American theologians during the nineteenth-century. People like Jonathan Edwards or Charles Finney were postmillennial. It spawned a great missionary zeal that brought many to Christ.” (From “The Revelation our Brightest Hope of Jesus Christ” by Dr. Helmar Heckel)

Before we get into questions relating to the Millennium, let us make reference to another view, which particularly relates to Jesus and His statement regarding things to come. It is The Preterist View.

“The ‘preterist,’ or ‘contemporary-historical,’ interpretation regards the visions of the book as referring primarily, if not exclusively, to events belonging to the closing decades of the first century, contemporary with the prophet John. The prophecy was concerned with the persecution of Christians instituted by the ‘beast,’ usually understood to be Nero or Domitian, and was continued by the Roman government, called ‘Babylon.’ Revelation was written to encourage believers with the hope that God would intervene, destroy the ‘beast,’ bring deliverance to His people, and establish His everlasting Kingdom. Some preterists advocate that Revelation is concerned solely with the destruction of Jerusalem, the temple, and the old era of apostate Judaism in A.D. 70.”

Now we turn to 3 major views involving the Millennium. 

PREMILLENNIAL VIEW

The believer that “Christ will bodily return to earth before the thousand-year reign begins. He will establish His Kingdom and set up His throne in the rebuilt city of Jerusalem. Many places in the Old Testament refer to His Kingdom on earth. When we pray the Lord’s prayer, we say “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” His will cannot be done on earth until Christ’s enemies have been defeated and Satan has been bound.” (David Jeremiah, p.20 “Escape the Coming Night”)

So, in this view, all believers are “raptured” before the Great Tribulation. The rapture and the Second Coming are separate events. Tribulation and Millennium are literal 7-year and 1000-year periods. (Spirit Filled Life Bible)
Rapture – 1 Thessalonians 4:15-18
Second Coming – 2 Thessalonians 2:8

POSTMILLENNIAL VIEW

In this, all believers are raptured at the end of the great tribulation. The Rapture and the Second Coming are the same event in the Post-Millennial View. Post-Millennialists believe the world will continue to get better as Christians spread the gospel, and this will be the age of the millennium. After the thousand years, Christ will then take the believers to heaven and condemn the non-believers. In America, this view was popular during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Then along came World War I, the Great Depression, the rise of Hitler, World War II, the power of the Soviet Union, and increasing wars throughout the world, the liberal optimism of man achieving utopia faded.

Today, there is a resurgence among some Christians who espouse Dominion Theology.

AMILLENNIAL VIEW

Here, the amillennialists do not believe there will be a 1000-year reign of peace before or after the Second Coming. The rapture is not expected, as they see the church being the fulfillment of the Kingdom.

So this view is that this represents the biblical millennium (i.e., the 1000-year reign) as being symbolic of Christ’s current reign in Heaven and through the church on earth rather than a future earthly Kingdom. So they don’t believe in a future literal 1000-year reign of Christ here on earth.

ATTITUDE REGARDING VIEWPOINTS

It is to be noted that believers who hold different viewpoints are nonetheless basing their viewpoints on Scripture.

Concerning what we believe, there are Doctrines that we consider basic and absolute doctrines relating to Jesus being the Son of God, His death in our place on the cross, etc. These are absolute and primary beliefs and are necessary for salvation.

But there are secondary doctrines which should not divide believers, such as relating to the details of Christ’s Second Coming. So let us be gracious with other believers who differ from us doctrinally.

“It is probably not reasonable for one Christian to be divided from another on the interpretation of things yet future, things of which neither can know the exact outcome until the actual occurrence.” (Spirit Filled Life Bible)

CLOSING THOUGHTS

I think most Christians are Pan-Millennials. They believe it will pan out all right and Christ will return. 

We should take seriously the times in which we live. If Christ is to return soon, as I believe, we should be studying the Word to get ready for it and to know how we should live in these Last Days.

We should also be looking forward to His coming and rejoice in the Hope that it brings us. As it says at the end of Revelation, “And the Spirit and the Bride say Come” (22:17). “Surely I am coming quickly” (22:20).

Even so, come, Lord Jesus.