Church history shows that throughout the first three centuries of Christianity, the universal church was overwhelmingly Premillennial in its eschatology. The general idea of Premillennialism consists in the belief that the kingdom of God which was promised in the Old Testament will come to this earth with the second coming of Jesus Christ. His return is before the Millennium; hence, a “Premillennial” viewpoint.
The Old and New Testaments promise a restoration to the universe, a restoration that includes the fulfilling of every promise God made to the nation of Israel. This doctrine includes some of the following ideas:
- The nation Israel will ultimately be restored to its land and enjoy a permanent restoration.
- The nations which are seeking Israel’s destruction will make a climactic attempt to destroy Israel in the eschatological, seven-year period of conflict known as the Tribulation Period.
- Those nations which are seeking Israel’s destruction will experience an overwhelming destruction through the intervening grace of God at the return of Jesus Christ.
- Those who have come to faith in Jesus Christ and survived the seven-year tribulation period enter into God’s Kingdom on this present earth.
- This present earth will undergo a radical cleansing and transformation that allows humanity to live in a virtually perfect world, albeit one that still has mortal and sinful people.
- God will bring a resurrection to every departed saint, and these resurrected saints will dwell in this kingdom along with those who have entered into the kingdom in mortal bodies.
- Satan and his demons will be bound during this 1,000 year period.
- The Millennial Kingdom will be populated by God’s saints in an earth without the kinds of woe and conflict that characterize our present age.
- A final recreation at the end of the Millennium will introduce a New Heavens and a New Earth in which every saint lives in the presence of God in a glorified, resurrected state, forever and ever.
Over several hundred years, various influences began causing a shift from this apostolic viewpoint into various kinds of non-premillennial viewpoints. The non-premillennial viewpoints have varied over the ages and would include ideas like Amillennialism. This idea holds that the church is actually in the Millennium presently. It is a spiritual kingdom which is sometimes defined as (1) Christ ruling in the hearts of men or (2) Christ ruling from heaven. Most Amillennialists believe that the second coming of Christ at some point in the future will also bring in a New Heavens and a New Earth. The Postmillennial position teaches that Christ will return after the church has succeeded in establishing the kingdom for 1,000 years. This position has a very optimistic perspective about the ability of the church to bring about God’s rule in the present age. The wars and horrors of the 20th century caused this viewpoint to fall into great disfavor, although there are some who still espouse it today. Along with Amillennialism and Postmillennialism, Preterism is another doctrine that did not characterize apostolic Christianity. Preterism holds that the second coming of Jesus Christ took place in the first century when Roman armies crushed Israel in the Jewish wars of A. D. 66-70.
Amillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Preterism face many challenges in seeking to be credible. The most natural understanding of biblical prophecy leads to a Premillennial interpretation. Many who hold to Premillennialism also hold to a Pretribulation rapture for the church, although there are some who hold to a Midttribulation or Postribulation rapture. The following study in eschatology is based on a Premillennial, Pretribulation position. May it be a blessing as you seek to know the Lord and His purposes for mankind.
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Serving Christ and His Church,
Tim Dane
Tags: Church History, Eschatology, Israel
